


The Devil's Backbone

by willowaus



Category: The Vampire Diaries (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, F/M, season 4 divergent
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-07-29
Updated: 2015-07-29
Packaged: 2018-04-11 22:01:26
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 33
Words: 306,439
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4453964
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/willowaus/pseuds/willowaus
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>With the race on for the cure, some will fall, some will rise, and some will go insane. Friendships end and new ones spark as secrets are revealed and what some believe to be the truth will turn out to be nothing but lies. While others may discover that they're not as different as they had believed. But will it matter if there is no world left? Set after 4x09. [Klaus/Caroline]</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

It is impossible to suffer without making someone pay for it~ **Friedrich Nietzsche**

* * *

Dead.

Everything he had worked to gain through the centuries—the loyalty he had believed was rightfully due to him, that he had cultivated, manipulated and demanded out of these werewolves who now were like him—was gone in one fell swoop. Perhaps he could have forgiven them breaking their Sire bonds, it would have been easy enough to fix that small problem with simple compulsion, but the fact that they had planned to kill him and thought that they could do so had earned them their deaths. Seeing them in the woods, waiting for him to arrive, standing there together to watch him die had sealed their fate more swiftly than when he had learned what had been transpiring.

He had given them relief from the torturous process of turning, no longer had they needed to endure the breaking of every bone in their body once a month. No longer did they need to worry about their lives ending in a mere sixty to seventy years. They were stronger, faster, infinitely better than they had been and all he had required was loyalty, doing as he asked when he asked it. Was that really too much to expect after the gift he had bestowed upon them?

He knew who was to blame, who had put the seeds of doubt into their ears and helped it fester into full blown mutiny. There had been no questioning until Tyler's return. No discord until the mutt he had first successfully transformed had stepped back into town, sire bond broken and thinking that he could best him in every way.

Klaus would have Tyler Lockwood's head one way or another, but at least thrusting Carol Lockwood's head under the water, watching the life drain from her eyes as she fought to live had given him some satisfaction. She had said that Tyler was all she had left in life and the fact was not lost on Klaus that Carol was all that the impudent boy truly had as well. Killing her had been easy and while he wished there had been more satisfaction in taking her life, he supposed leaving her for someone to find, knowing the heart wrenching grief that would knock Tyler to his knees would be enough for now.

The Lockwood boy hadn't been the only one involved though and he wondered precisely what part the two that had been his source of distraction during the day had played. It was probably that very thought that had him standing in front of the Salvatore's boarding house and listening to the conversation happening inside.

His rage hadn't dissipated; it still festered there beneath the surface, wishing to be unleashed on the next unsuspecting person, to be doled out to those who had thought once again that they could get some kind of upper hand over him. Perhaps he should have expected it, and to some degree he did. It wasn't as though he didn't know they were constantly using him, Stefan only working with him to benefit the useless doppelganger and Caroline…her part in everything cut him deeper than the rest. His feelings for her were becoming a nuisance, something he needed to either warp to his own advantage or stamp out in a way that didn't allow them to linger beneath the surface, waiting to be brought out again. Just as they had after her betrayal that had gotten Kol daggered by the bothersome quarterback.

Something told him that they wouldn't go away as he wished though, or else he would have rid himself of them months before, tore her from the world and watched the life leave her eyes. That judging, honest gaze never to shine in his direction again. That didn't mean he couldn't let them know he knew, let them know he wouldn't be trifled with again and that the two of them needed to watch their steps, to remind them exactly why he had the reputation that he did. And perhaps get some answers to the questions that were on a constant repeating shuffle in his head.

His eyes narrowed as he walked inside, knowing the two of them wouldn't be paying any particular attention to their surroundings. Klaus picked up a tall lamp as he continued on inside, tossing the shade to the side and unscrewing the bulb. He smiled sardonically at the two as he entered the room. Fear immediately filled his senses, wrapping around him and causing the blood running through his veins to pump just that bit faster. He'd always enjoyed the smell of it, had been bathed in it not even an hour ago, first from his Hybrids and then from the Mayor, and now here he was, walking into the room and receiving the same wonderful fragrance from Stefan and Caroline.

Stefan was up in seconds, no doubt ready to defend Caroline who had also risen, but didn't make any move to leave. Her gaze was fixed on Klaus' clothes, taking in the amount of blood, and Klaus could only imagine the scenarios that were going through her pretty little head. No doubt all of them had to do with the Lockwood boy and that rankled Klaus more than anything.

"Don't rise on my account, mate," Klaus directed Stefan, thrusting the lamp into his stomach and pinning the other vampire to the nearest wall. It would hurt, but it wouldn't cause any lasting damage. "Caroline and I need to have a talk."

"Caroline,  _run_ ," Stefan urged through the pain, not liking the madness that seemed to dance in the Hybrid's eyes. He didn't think he had ever seen him look so crazed and wasn't sure what Klaus might do to her, especially after what had most likely happened. There was no way he would be in the living room with them, covered in blood, if Tyler's crazy plan had succeeded.

Caroline shook her head, not out of bravery, but she couldn't leave her friend to this madness. Especially when she knew Klaus could catch her before she ever left the room. Besides, she was pretty sure he would only like the chase. "You're alive," she murmured, crossing her arms across her chest in an attempt to showcase some bravado. Hopefully he didn't notice how much her hands were shaking.

"It was all an elaborate lie, wasn't it, sweetheart?" Klaus asked, closing the distance between the two of them. He noted the shaking of her hands, the slight tremor in her body as he stopped in front of her. The way she tried to raise her chin defiantly, to show him she wasn't frightened.

"You'll have to be more specific in your questioning," Caroline told him, silently berating herself as soon as the words left her mouth. The last thing she should be doing was goading him, not when he was like this.

She didn't like the slow smirk that spread across his lips, the way his eyes became more yellow, and she especially didn't like when he crashed her into the wall behind them, pinning her to it with his hands pressing to the wall on either side of her. The old plaster had cracked and it scraped her back, opening up a deep gash. She could smell the blood that was no doubt trailing down her back and ruining her dress.

"Why don't we keep your answers to a simple yes or no for the time being," Klaus suggested, waiting for her to nod in acquiescence. "Now, your break up with Tyler was all part of an elaborate game. Playing on my feelings for you. My rather noble intentions, yes or no?"

"Yes." She flinched when he brought a hand to her face, expecting him to hurt her in some way. Instead he fingered a strand of her hair, drawing it between his fingers before tucking it behind her ear.

"A way to distract me from the unsiring he did to the others?" Klaus continued, putting all of the pieces together. No doubt Tyler had thought a free Caroline would make a worthy distraction, something to keep his mind off of the whereabouts of his Hybrids, something for him to focus on so he didn't notice if one was gone for any amount of time. It had been a good plan, one he had readily fallen for, just as he had for all of the little distractions her friends sent her to be. He would not make the same mistake three times.

"Yes." Caroline wondered how long he would keep asking what he undoubtedly knew was the truth from her. Why didn't he just pull out her heart? Rip off her head? She worried exactly how much he would make her pay for her part in everything.

"All to help the annoying little mutt in his thirst for power," Klaus murmured, eyes narrowing at the thought of  _his_  Hybrids following Tyler.

"He's not a—" Caroline protested, but Klaus tapped a finger to her lips, silencing her.

"Ah ah ah. Yes or no," he reminded, amused by the glare she directed at him. He had her life in his hands, could easily move his hand to her chest and rip out her heart and yet she still managed to be annoyed with him. It stirred a longing inside of Klaus that he was constantly trying to push down around her, this tiny, baby vampire that should not have any pull over him.

"Yes," Caroline bit out, glancing over at Stefan who was gritting in pain as he tried to pull the lamp out his body.

"And the pageant," Klaus began, grasping Caroline's chin so she would focus on him and  _only him_. "Was that all a ruse as well?" The laughter, the way she had truly seemed to enjoy her time with him there. It hadn't been like when she had come to distract him from Stefan, even though that had been a delightful night up until her revelation. There had been genuineness to her interactions, a freeness that he had believed to be real, and wondered if he had been fooled about that as well.

Caroline swallowed, not wanting to answer that question. She had enjoyed their time there. He had been a ray of light among all of the other crap from the day, allowing her to actually have some fun amid the Elena drama and the stress of running the pageant. But she couldn't admit that to him. Wouldn't allow herself to do so.

"Tell me the truth, sweetheart, or I will remove Stefan's spleen," Klaus warned her, noting the hesitation in her answer. "It won't kill him but it's rather uncomfortable."

"No," she murmured, her voice barely audible.

Klaus smiled, noting the guilt in her eyes, pleased that she had in fact enjoyed that brief interlude between them. "No?"

"No," she spat out, the fire back in her eyes, further annoyed that her reaction the second time seemed to only broaden his smile. His face was mere inches from hers now and she wondered if he was going to try and eat her then and there like this or was he going to try and use compulsion. Fear tried to engulf her, to bring her to her knees at the thought of being powerless to him in the one way that terrified her above all others, but Caroline refused to show that kind of weakness in front of him.

"That's my girl," Klaus breathed, delighting in the way her fear turned so quickly to rage at his words. He stepped back, still blocking her into the wall, but no longer a breath away from her face. "One day, the loyalty that you mistakenly give him, which you dole out on these friends of yours who don't deserve an ounce of your time, will be mine."

"Never," Caroline promised, clenching her fists at her sides at the idea of that. She would never help him, never give loyalty to him. "I'd rather die."

"Caroline," Stefan rasped out, and she knew that tone, knew the exasperation in her friend's voice. Now was not the time to be antagonizing the Hybrid further, but like hell was she going to let Klaus think that she would ever be loyal to him.

"Don't fret so much, Stefan," Klaus stated, taking a step back from her, though he grabbed her arm, pulling her along with him and roughly shoved her into a chair as he glanced over at the Salvatore "If I were here to kill either of you I already would have done so." Returning his attention to Caroline, he smiled. He could almost see her trying to deduce a way out of their current situation. Pity her little ragtag band of misfits never seemed to use the intelligence housed inside that pretty little head. He wouldn't make the same mistake.

"I'd rather not stake you to the chair, love, so be a good girl and sit there while I have a chat with Stefan." Her eyes flashed with a fury he'd never quite seen in them before, could see her fangs wanting to descend, the tiniest pricks of the teeth already coming out to play. "I will do it though, Caroline. Don't tempt me."

Her only response was a glare and he turned back to Stefan, taking a step toward the vampire. Klaus grabbed hold of the lamp and smirked at the scream that erupted from Stefan's mouth as he wrenched it from the vampire's body. He dropped the lamp, moving to Stefan and lifting the vampire up with ease before throwing him at the nearest wall. The sound of bones and the wall breaking on impact was like music to his ears. Caroline's pained gasp at seeing it only adding a delicious melody to the groans and grunts of Stefan who was trying to push himself up to a sitting position.

"Stay where you are, sweetheart," Klaus reminded, not bothering to look behind to see that she was doing so as he strode toward Stefan. His reflexes were infinitely quicker, more defined than hers and if she tried to attack he would have her knocked back before she moved from the chair. "Now tell me. How were you going to find the cure without my sword? I can't see you having given up on it so easily unless there was another way."

One that he would use to his own advantage. Find the cure, force it down Elena's throat and then create a new batch of Hybrids. Ones that the Lockwood boy would never get his hands on.

Stefan groaned, spitting out blood even as his body attempted to knit itself back together. "Tick tock, Stefan. I don't have all day." Klaus grabbed the vampire by his throat, pulling him up and pushing him against the wall again in one easy motion. "We had a plan. One that would have worked to both of our benefits and I'm failing to see what use you are to me now. I'm sure you remember what it is that I do with useless things."

"Why should we say a thing if you're just going to kill us?" Caroline pointed out from behind, and Klaus pressed his lips together, annoyed with the assumption that he wanted either of them dead. He thrust his hand into Stefan, breaking and then yanking out a rib, causing Stefan to cry out in pain and Caroline to scream for him to stop.

"I can do this all day until one of you answers me," Klaus replied, glaring down at Stefan.

"Professor Shane already knows where it is," Caroline informed him, trying to keep from moving to Stefan's aide. She had a feeling if she stepped one foot toward him that it would only equal pain.

"Now that wasn't so hard, was it?" Klaus asked, even as he pressed his hand to Stefan's chest, the pressure and force he was using causing the bones inside to crack. "Who all knows of the cure?"

"All of us," Stefan replied, glancing over at Caroline. He wanted her to get out of the house, she might be able to make it to Elena's, maybe Matt's, if Klaus was so focused on him. She would be safe for at least a little longer then. "Damon, Bonnie, Elena, Matt, the whole gang."

"Tyler knows too, but we didn't tell him. He already knew somehow," Caroline added and then bit her lip for having offered that bit of information up. "Why do you even care about the cure?" He didn't want to be human. They all knew that and was it really worth all of this hassle to turn Elena back to a human so he could make more hybrids that would only turn against him?

"A weapon that could be used against me. Can't imagine why I'd want to know the location of that, sweetheart." Klaus muttered, but didn't bother to look at her. "Where is the Professor?"

The other two were silent again and Klaus thrust his hand through Stefan's chest cavity and grabbed hold of his heart. "I tire of this game, children."

"Elena's lake house. Or at least he was. He might be back at Whitmore now," Caroline muttered, not caring in the least for that man's life if it gave Stefan a chance of walking away from this meeting with his life.

Klaus stepped back as he pulled out his hand, watching Stefan stare at him, the fear in his eyes as he clutched his already healing chest a nice sign that the vampire understood how close to death he had just come.  _I held your life in my hands, mate. Could have ripped away and been left with nothing._  The hope of camaraderie that they had shared in the 20s ever returning was gone and Klaus would no longer try to gain it back, no longer let Stefan in on his plans. He would complete this journey on his own and destroy any who interfered again.

"I believe that's enough for today," Klaus told them as he licked Stefan's blood off of his hands and turned to leave.

"Where's Tyler?" Caroline asked, and Klaus stopped, turning back to her with a fury he couldn't seem to contain as he walked to her. He didn't pick her up and throw her as he had Stefan, simply blocked her into the chair, leaning over her as he stared down at her, waiting for the fear to register on her face. He could smell it coming off of her in waves, see it in the tremble of her body, but she kept her chin raised, kept glaring at him as she repeated her question. "Where's Tyler?"

"Worried about what I've done to your little boyfriend?" Klaus sneered down at her, touching one of her curls again. Though this time he was anything but gentle, yanking it to the side and delighting in her cry of pain. "Not his blood on me. Though I did have the pleasure of drowning his mother in the fountain to satiate the need to kill him for the moment."

The widening of her eyes, Caroline's little gasp as his words registered, brought another smirk to his features, delighting in her horror. Had she forgotten what he was capable of if crossed? None would be free from his wrath if they tried it again.

"How could…" Caroline started, her gaze turning from horrified to anger but Stefan called out her name, no doubt trying to silence her from saying something to further anger him.

"After all he took from me; I felt it only justified to leave him a little taste of what's to come. There are more who need to pay for their part in this little scheme and they will meet their violent ends in time, but first." Klaus paused, locking his gaze with Caroline's. "A gift for you, love, to show that even though your judgment has been lacking recently..."

Klaus grasped her chin again, making sure she was looking at only him. Stefan was hardly a threat, skin still trying to mend itself and the loss of blood no doubt limiting his capabilities. Klaus tightened his grip on Caroline, watching her eyes water in pain at how hard he was holding her. Bruises formed on her skin, marking her and while they would heal in seconds once he released her, he would know that mark was there just under the surface. "I still endeavor to have your heart."

He watched her flinch at that, fear finally registering in her eyes, and Klaus let go of her chin. He didn't know why but he didn't actually like it there, not when she was looking at him, not like he thought he would. Funny how she was more afraid of his feelings for her than the threat of death at his hands. Or maybe it was one in the same.

"I allow Tyler this one last night on Earth, but know this, Caroline," Klaus started, pushing away from her, though he never broke his gaze with her. "Once the sun rises I will rip out his heart and eat it if he is still in Mystic Falls. I suggest that you tell him to run and try to hide so that I don't find him for a little while. He should at least try to make it entertaining."

She nodded and he could see the wheels in her head turning, the scenarios that she was no doubt going through for how to try and save the whelp. There was no saving Tyler Lockwood and Klaus would make sure she understood the gravity of the situation they had gotten themselves into. "And, Caroline, don't think of running off with him. If I find out that you have, nothing will stop me from finding you. Of course, that will only happen after I've decimated the town you call home."

Klaus didn't wait around for an answer, turning on his heel and heading out of the house and toward his home. Caroline's soft gasps of disbelief carried on the wind; Stefan's words of comfort following behind it, and Klaus couldn't help but smile, pleased with how that meeting had gone and ready to drown the rest of the night away with a good bourbon.

* * *

What had just happened?

One minute Stefan was having a breakdown because of the fact that Elena and Damon had slept together and the next Klaus was in the house. As soon as she saw him come inside Caroline had known Tyler's plan had failed. She had known something was going to go terribly wrong based on the fact that Hayley had snapped her neck and left her in the bathroom of the Grill. She didn't understand why the girl had done that. Wasn't it better that Klaus not go into Tyler's body but his sister's instead? Hayley was supposed to be Tyler's friend. Surely she would have seen how that slight change in the scenario would be better for everyone.

Except Klaus was alive and apparently Tyler still was for the moment, but the hybrids were dead. There was no way they would have been spared their lives after the betrayal they had planned, not with how much blood had been on Klaus. Not when she had been able to smell them, that distinct scent that was hybrid blood coating him. Similar to his own, yet Klaus' pulled a yearning from inside that Caroline steadfastly pushed down. She didn't want to think about his blood sliding down her throat, healing her, and being etched forever into her head along with that damn woodsy scent that seemed to surround Klaus.

She had to find Tyler, had to somehow explain what had happened to his mother, and after that she needed to convince him to get the hell out of Mystic Falls. He needed to run as far and as fast as he could and hide as best as he could. She wasn't sure if he could do that though. The first time he had left, Klaus hadn't bothered to go after him, but this time, Caroline had a feeling there wasn't anything that would stop the Hybrid from going after Tyler.

All because of the stupid pack and Tyler's need to try and help them. Why couldn't they just unsire them and let them leave of their own accord? Why did the end result of the plan have to be trying to take down Klaus? How had none of them learned by then that it was impossible to do so?

Her mind was a mess and she hated the conflicting thoughts that ran through it as she tried to force back the fear that wanted to grab hold of her and never let go. It took Caroline a moment to realize that Stefan was standing in front of her, hands on either side of her face and talking to her. She had seen the current look he was directing at her before back when she had first turned and had been freaking out on him in the school bathroom. It took her a moment to realize the sobs that she also heard were coming from her mouth, that she was the one who was crying.

"Caroline," Stefan murmured, and she finally focused on him, remembering that she needed to breathe in and out to get her body under control.

"I'm okay," she stated not sure if it was Stefan or her own mind that she was trying to convince. Caroline pushed back from him, threading her fingers through her hair and forced herself to breathe in and out once more. "We can't just sit here. There's…we need to contact Bonnie and maybe Shane won't have left yet and if he did then she probably has a way to contact him." Because she had been spending entirely too much time with Professor Creepy who seemed to know more than he was revealing but that was something to focus on at some other point. "But we need to give him a head's up that Klaus might want him."

Caroline wasn't exactly sure what the Hybrid would do that night. "He can't get into Elena's lake house at least." But they both knew that the simple invitation barrier wouldn't do any of them that much good if Klaus really wanted to get someone from inside of it. He wasn't exactly against burning the lot of them out of a building.

"I'll deal with all of that," Stefan told her, giving her shoulders a reassuring squeeze. "You need to focus on finding Tyler and getting him to leave Mystic Falls."

She nodded, at a complete loss for how to even do that, but she knew that she needed to at least try and get Tyler to see reason. "I'll get him to leave." Not that she could go with him. There was little doubt in Caroline's mind that Klaus would make good on his threat and go after her, killing the entire town in the process.

Stefan pushed himself away from the chair, nodding as he moved, and she could see the tension in her friend, blood staining his shirt and had a feeling that he was still healing internally. "Call me when you're done and we'll meet up at your place," Stefan told her as she got up from the chair and headed to leave.

"You're going to be okay, Caroline," Stefan called out, and she stopped at that, looking over her shoulder at him. He seemed to look about as confident in his words as she felt about them.

"Always am," Caroline replied, forcing a smile before she hurried out of the house, not wanting to hear any more lies. She wouldn't be okay. There was  _nothing_  about their current situation that was okay, but she would survive it, somehow conquer it and move on, live her life. Just like she had done with every other curve ball that had ever been thrown her way.

* * *

Klaus sensed someone inside of his mansion before he even got to the front door. There shouldn't have been anyone in there. Rebekah was daggered and resting wherever Stefan had hid her. His Hybrids were dead in the woods and Lockwood cellar. He would have sensed Tyler's presence right away because of their blood connection. Caroline and Stefan hadn't followed him and there was no reason for the rest of their motley crew to be traipsing around his home.

He was in no mood to deal with trespassers. Or perhaps it was the perfect mood considering he still had leftover rage that he would happily dole out on whoever was inside.

Klaus made no move to be silent, nor did he hurry toward the presence. He could hear the clinking of glass and knew the perpetrator was helping himself to some of his liquor. He found that to be a bit curious. For one, they would need to know where it was located to find it and two; most intruders wouldn't bother with stopping for a drink.

He arched a brow as he entered the room, surprised to see Kol sitting down on one of the upholstered chairs. His younger brother draped his legs over the side, haphazardly pouring brandy into a tumbler, drips of the liquid ending up on the furniture and floor.

"Looks like someone was out having fun without me," Kol commented as he looked over at Klaus, smiling impishly as he raised his glass. "And it looks like you had quite the time while you were out. Did someone piss in your Cheerios? I heard that while I was in Canada. Funny little saying, don't you think?"

There was a time when Klaus would have welcomed his younger brother's presence. A time when he had wanted all of his family to share the house with him but that dream had died before it was ever fully realized. "Why are you here? Last I heard you wanted to make a name for yourself again out in the world."

Klaus had thought it was a foolhardy desire that would result in Kol getting into his usual brand of trouble. He couldn't quite discount that he understood the younger vampire's need to set off on his own after so many decades cooped up in the coffin. Kol had never been one for sticking around any place for too long, not even when they had tried to stick together as a family.

"Are you not going to regale me with tales of what you did?" Kol mock pouted, bringing the tumbler to his lips, but didn't take a drink yet. "What happened to sharing your conquests and our little wagers on which of us could cause the most panic?"

Klaus walked over, snatching the bottle of brandy from him and then headed toward the cupboard that held the rest of the tumblers. He ignored Kol's smug grin, the small laugh that left his brother's mouth at having goaded him so easily.

"I'm surprised you're still in this town, Nik," Kol continued, swirling the amber liquid around in the glass as he watched his brother's shoulders tense. "The doppelganger isn't really any use to you any longer so what is it that's keeping you here?" Klaus didn't reply, pouring himself a drink and keeping his back to Kol. "Don't tell me it's that pretty little thing from the ball?"

_Caroline._

Klaus tightly gripped the glass he was holding, reminding himself that breaking it would only serve to give Kol the reaction that he obviously wanted. Something he was not about to do.

"Answer my question, Kol. Why are you here?" Klaus demanded, turning around and fixing his brother with a venomous stare. It rankled that doing so only seemed to further amuse the younger Original.

Kol swung his legs around and placed down his half-drunk drink onto the table. "There's a rumor going around that a Hunter was in town. One of those ridiculous Five that we searched long and low for a century or two." Kol tapped the glass. "And from your lack of immediate answer I'd say that I'm correct in that assumption. So where is he?"

"Dead," Klaus replied, taking a drink.

"Obviously it wasn't you. You're not ranting and raving about father every other second." Kol pressed his lips together, brow furrowing in thought. "Was it Rebekah?" That would explain her absence when he'd come into town.

"Elena Gilbert." Klaus sat down across from his brother, watching the amused smile that spread across Kol's lips as he clapped his hands together in delight.

"Stake herself? Or walk out into the sun without the ring? No wait. Somehow managed to chop off her own head?" Kol leaned back, more possibilities playing out in his mind. "Did someone at least manage to record it? I learned how to do that on the cell phone. I quite like the device." He pulled out his phone, twirling it in his hands. "I can constantly relive my highlights. I'll have to show you what I got up to in Toronto but first, how did she finally end it?"

Klaus couldn't help but smile at the enthusiasm, relaxing a tiny bit as he leaned back against the couch. It reminded him of the last time they had been in this very room together like this. Rebekah would have been striding into the room, still in her gown from the evening before. He would have been sketching in his book. Kol remarking how bored he was and wanting to go out to play. Back before everything had come crumbling down.

"We learned how to break the curse, so she's still around. No hallucinations." Klaus informed him, watching Kol arch an eyebrow at that. "Have to get a potential Hunter to kill a vampire and take hold of his destiny. True circle of annoyance that witches delight in creating."

"That disrespectful tone is exactly why most of them don't like you," Kol smugly pointed out. "Who's the new Hunter? And how did you find a potential?"

Klaus waved off the questions, not in the mood to go into more details. "If you want to be of help then go and retrieve Professor Atticus Shane from Whitmore. I'm sure you can figure out precisely where he lives off campus. He has information about where we can find the cure."

"I don't get why you even care about this? Why don't we just destroy this Professor and cut off the chance of any of them ever locating it?" Kol asked, picking up his glass. Trick one of the others to kill whoever the new Hunter was and any potential Hunters that came along. It didn't seem as though they grew on trees anyway. After all, this was the first Kol was hearing about another one after the Five had died nine hundred years ago.

Klaus didn't respond again, and Kol tapped his glass, trying to deduce what appeal the cure would hold aside from the fact it could be used as a weapon against them, which admittedly, was a pretty good reason to find it first. Of course finding it meant that it could potentially be stolen and used against them that way. Better to cut off any hope of ever locating it in the first place. What could have Klaus wanting to actually get his hands on it?

_Of course._

"You want the doppelganger to be human again, don't you? Make more little hybrids?" Kol saw the tightening of Klaus' jaw when he mentioned his brother's pets. "Where are they? I was expecting to see at least one of them roaming around when I got here. They were all such a bloody nuisance the last time. Though that one—Kim I think—did know how to make a good cocktail."

"I'm not in the mood for fifty questions, Kol," Klaus replied, rising from the couch and already heading toward the door. He needed a shower, to rid himself of the blood of his failed attempt at loyalty. He certainly didn't want to go into where his hybrid army was with his little brother.

"Just one more, Nik," Kol called out, unsure what exactly had gotten him into such a tizzy. Who even knew with Klaus at times? "Where is our dear sister?"

"I can honestly say that I have no idea where Rebekah is residing right now," Klaus replied, and headed off toward his room.

He heard Kol leaving as he started stripping, making a mental reminder to burn the clothes. Hopefully Kol was doing as he asked. It would save a lot of headache if his brother retrieved the professor that night before the others could do anything to hide or protect the man. But if not, he'd put into motion another plan to get the information needed to get the cure before the rest of them. Or perhaps do as Kol suggested and simply put into effect the Professor and Jeremy Gilbert's death so none of them would ever get the prize.

One way or another, he wasn't allowing the Mystic Falls gang to come out on top.

* * *

Tyler looked devastated, like he had suffered a great loss, but not quite as broken as Caroline was sure he would be if he knew about his mom. There were no police cars out front either and she knew there would be if he had been informed about Carol Lockwood's death. This was a scene she had seen play out too many times recently. Though this time there was a definite lack of Hayley sitting by him on the couch as he mourned for dead pack members.

Caroline didn't think she would ever understand the pack dynamic. She hadn't liked how he so quickly jumped to their side on everything. Even if she could see why he did so. He considered them friends and family, put their needs above others. Had been willing to put their needs above a cure-that he didn't want and why would he but was needed to help Elena, another of his friends-and that still didn't sit well with her. No, it wouldn't have helped them out, but they couldn't have given them even another day to try and find the sword before Stefan got that fateful call. All of their lives had been at risk as soon as Tyler decided he wanted to take Klaus down and Caroline wondered if he even realized what he had set in motion.

She couldn't blame him though, not with what she had to tell him. "Hey," she started, stopping at the threshold of the room. He seemed to tense upon hearing her voice, but didn't turn back to look at her.

"Caroline, I don't want to talk to you right now," Tyler muttered, lifting up the bottle of scotch.

"Tyler," she continued, not at all surprised that he didn't want to do that. She took another step forward but stopped when he started talking.

"They're all dead. He killed all of them. Every single last one." Tyler took a long swig from the bottle, emptying it and then tossing it onto the couch beside him. "Hayley set us up. I don't get why though. None of it makes sense."

Caroline didn't get that part either. Though it tied into why the other girl had snapped her neck, even if it still didn't explain why she would have betrayed those she had considered to be friends though. "Seriously, Caroline, just go. I need to mourn on my own," Tyler told her, shaking his head as he stared down at the floor.

"Klaus didn't just kill the hybrids, Tyler," Caroline took a deep breath, not wanting to tell him this way, but sugarcoating it wouldn't help any. "He found your mom." Tyler rose at that point, turning around to look at her. He shook his head, no doubt willing her to stop talking. "He. Tyler, he."

Tyler stepped backward, scraping his nails through his hair as he shut his eyes. "He drowned her," Caroline finished, stepping toward him again.

Tyler slammed his hands into the coffee table, easily splitting it in two. She stopped walking, needing to keep out of the path of any stray debris as he took out his fury on the couch next, sending it flying across the room. Tyler let out a harsh scream, dropping to his knees as he cradled his head in his hands, pulling at his hair. Caroline moved to him then, kneeling down beside him and reached to try and offer some comfort. He smacked her hand away though, arms slamming into the floor as he screamed again.

Caroline's heart broke for him. She knew what it was like to lose a parent and she knew Tyler knew that already as well. But to lose his mom to Klaus, the one being that Tyler seemed to hate more than any other, that had to make it worse. She could almost feel the rage that was coming off of him and she reached for him again, frowning when he pushed her away a second time. "There's more," she murmured, flinching when Tyler looked at her, directed that fury filled gaze her way.

"What the hell else could there be?" he demanded, nails digging into the floor to keep from striking out again. He didn't want to accidentally hurt her.

"If you're still here in the morning he's going to kill you," Caroline replied, tucking her hands into her lap. Whatever response she was expecting from Tyler it wasn't for him to start laughing. A high pitched, delirious sound that reminded her of films when someone was losing their mind. She couldn't hold back the tears anymore.

"I don't want you to die," she sobbed out, pressing a hand to her mouth to try and reel her emotions back in. She didn't think Tyler needed to deal with her having a breakdown after all he had lost.

That seemed to knock a little sense into Tyler and he stopped laughing and finally reached for her, pulling her close. Burying his head into her neck as she hugged him tightly, sobs racking through her whole body. "He's not going to kill me, Caroline," Tyler murmured, rubbing her back, trying to soothe her with his touch. It only made her grip around him tighten. "Let's just go. We'll just get the hell out of Mystic Falls." Take her and run, get as far away from Klaus as possible. Do what they had planned on doing when the Council had been after them.

Maybe they should have done that to begin with.

"I can't," Caroline told him, pulling back a little as she shook her head.

"I think your mom will understand you needing to disappear," Tyler assured her. Surely that was why she was hesitant to go. They could always figure out how to contact the Sheriff later on. He brushed her hair off her face and she sobbed harder.

"You don't understand," she murmured, knowing she couldn't go. That her reasons would only make her boyfriend even more angry than he already was. "Klaus said he'd kill everyone in town if I went with you."

Tyler let go of her, pushing himself up off of the floor and reached for the nearest object, flinging it across the room. He tore the room apart, not really seeing where anything landed. The bastard had managed to take everything from him in one night. His pack, his mother, Caroline. He would be left with nothing.

No doubt Klaus was laughing it up in his mansion. He wanted to kill him, to take everything that mattered to the Hybrid and destroy it, just as Klaus had ripped him apart. He couldn't do that if Klaus tore his heart from his chest though. Klaus would win forever then and Tyler couldn't handle that being the outcome. Klaus didn't get to win. Not anymore. He would simply need time to figure out how to strike back at the Hybrid in the worst way possible.

He turned to look back at Caroline who was still on the floor, hugging her knees tightly to her chest as she watched him, waiting for him to calm down. He knelt down beside her, hugging her again. "Tell me you're leaving. Tell me you're not going to go to his house and try something right now, Tyler," she begged, pressing her face into his neck.

She knew if he did that it would be the end. There would be no hope left. "I'm going to leave," he murmured, brushing her hair as she looked up at him. "I'm going to get out and I'm going to run so far that he'll never find me."

Caroline nodded, tears clouding her vision. "And it'll take time, but promise me you'll find someone who makes you happy."

"Caroline," Tyler started, but she shook her head, willing him not to interrupt.

"Tell me you'll do that. Tell me you'll learn to love someone again. Please." Because she couldn't stand the thought of him being out there on his own, stewing over all that happened. He had forever and he deserved to find happiness in it.

"I will learn to love someone again," he promised, kissing her forehead. "But I won't ever love them like I do you."

She collapsed against his chest then, hugging him as tightly as she could. He would need to leave soon, to run and hopefully never look back, but Caroline needed to hold onto him for another moment. To try and put everything about Tyler Lockwood to memory because she truly hoped she never saw him again. Something told her that if she did that would be his last day on Earth and it was better to know he was out there somewhere, hopefully happy again one day, than see him one last time just so he could die.

* * *

It wasn't hard to locate the Professor. Kol had easily found out where the man lived, some old apartment not too far from the campus, but it seemed that the Professor had decided to head to the office instead of home for the evening. It was an interesting choice considering there was hardly anyone on campus that late at night and Kol doubted the man was going to be working on anything academic. He didn't bother to look around the place, heading straight for the man's office and walked right on inside.

Shane was at his desk, going over some papers that were strewn across it and picking up his vibrating phone as Kol entered the room. "Afraid you won't be able to take that call, Professor," Kol informed him, easily smacking the phone out of the man's hand and letting it slide far out of reach.

"Who are you?" Shane asked, looking more curious than frightened, something Kol hadn't quite expected. Most would fear him, having burst into the office and slapping away the only method of communication.

"Kol Mikaelson. My brother requests an audience and I'm feeling generous toward to him today. Thought I'd bring you along instead of calling him to meet us here," Kol replied, yanking the man out of the chair by his shirt.

"You're an Original," Shane stated, his fascination growing at being privy to being in one of their presence. He had read so much about them. Learned so much about them in his travels. Never had he thought he'd meet one in person. He'd glimpsed the Hybrid at the Mystic Falls Pageant, watched him interact with one of Bonnie's friends, but had made sure to stay out of the way there. The others were already suspicious enough about what his motives were, what he knew. He hadn't wanted to stir up more trouble.

"Very good. And I have a feeling you know a lot more than you're letting on. But I'd rather Nik bother with the questioning since he seems to know a little more than I do at the moment." He flashed them out of the office and to the parking lot, shoving Shane into the car he had already stolen off of a coed who had the misfortune of being alone in the area. No doubt her drained body would be found in the morning but he'd be long gone by then anyway.

He noticed that Shane seemed to tense at the mention of his brother and Kol set the child lock on and pressed the lock key, trapping the two of them in the car. "Buckle up. Hate to lose all that knowledge you have up there too soon. You can always try to do that roll out I've seen in some films, but all that will do is break some bones, maybe lose consciousness, and I'll just have to take you back the old fashion way. The car ride will be infinitely more comfortable."

Hopefully he would get to dispose of the man once they were done with him. No point in leaving any loose ends hanging around.

An hour later and he was leading Shane up the mansion steps and calling out for Klaus to join them. "I've got your teacher friend, Nik."

Klaus appeared looking less psycho killer than when Kol had last seen him, though there still seemed to be an edge to him that hadn't quite disappeared. Something had happened to his brother and he wanted to find out exactly what had occurred. "And look not a scrape or bruise on him," Kol added, wagging his eyebrows at Klaus as he pushed Shane to sit down on one of the chairs before moving to sit on another.

"Klaus Mikaelson. The Hybrid." Shane stated, nodding to himself as he took in the two brothers. "My research showed that the two of you were at odds at times. Fiercely competitive. Brought about a couple of wars."

Kol winked at Klaus, pleased with the other man's knowledge. "We had our fun." When his brother wasn't putting daggers in his chest and spoiling it.

"You're not here to give me our life history. I'm already well aware of what I have and haven't done," Klaus started, not bothering to sit down and instead leaning against the wall as he regarded the man. He had seen him at the pageant, but there had been no reason to pay him much mind. He was of no consequence then, though Klaus was beginning to wonder exactly how he had come across all he did know. "I'm told you know where the cure is."

"I'm sorry this is just a dream come true right now. Two of the Original family. I mean, I saw you at the pageant," Shane nodded toward Klaus, his excitement growing. "But I never thought I would actually be speaking to either of you."

Kol was in no mood for the game, already having heard enough from the man on the way over about how fascinating it was to be in his presence. "Where is it?" he asked, utilizing his compulsion but that only seemed to make the man smile.

"Compulsion won't work on me. Actually learned how to avoid that during my travels," Shane informed him, and Kol frowned, not having met another who was able to avoid it without use of vervain.

"Well, then, I believe Kol gets to enjoy his favorite pastime in order to make your tongue compliant," Klaus stated, waving his hand for Kol to proceed. He walked over to the couch then and took a seat, arching a brow at the fear that seemed to finally surround the professor.

Kol laughed, leaning forward and resting his hands on the arm of Shane's chair. "How shall we do this? Would you like drowning? Or I can just smash it out of you until you break." He grabbed hold of Shane's right hand. "I know. Let's start with the fingers and work our way up." With a malicious smile, he cracked back one of the man's fingers, twisting it until it broke and Shane cried out in pain.

Looking back at Klaus, Kol nodded toward the fireplace. "Would you mind lighting it? I'd like to use the pokers later if he takes too long."

He turned back toward Shane, knowing Klaus would do as he asked. No doubt his brother would get the poker nice and hot for him to use. "It's such a simple question even," Kol continued, twisting two fingers that time. "Where is the cure? All we need is a location."

He moved on to the man's arm, slamming it down against the arm of the chair with enough force to shatter it. "I'm not even sure why you care about it. You're human. What exactly could you do with it anyway?" Kol continued. It made little sense to him why this man would want it, would know anything about it.

"I don't want it. You all can have it." Shane gritted through the pain. He was swimming in it, the amount of it making him lightheaded.

"I just want Silas," Shane muttered, still seeing stars, barely hanging onto consciousness.

Kol's eyes widened at the mention.  _Silas._  He knew that name. He knew that being's cause. "What do you know about Silas?" Kol demanded, lifting the man up and shaking him. Shane's head rolled back but his eyes flicked open, a small smile tugging at his lips.

"First immortal being of this world. And he's imprisoned with the cure," Shane replied, eyes sliding shut and open as he tried to remain awake. "And I am going to free him."

"No, you're not," Kol shook his head, hands moving up to snap the professor's neck, but Klaus was there before he could, shoving him out of the way and catching Shane before he could hit the floor.

"Are you mad?" Klaus demanded, ripping into his wrist and pushing it to Shane's mouth, forcing the blood down his throat. "He's of no use to us dead."

"Didn't you hear what he said?" Kol asked, pointing down at the man who was regaining strength because of his brother's blood. "He wants Silas."

Klaus sighed, moving past his brother as he ripped into his wrist and pushed it against the professor's mouth, forcing the blood down his throat. "You cannot still believe that silly old tale, Kol."

Kol grabbed onto Klaus' shoulder, trying to pull him away from the man. It was better if he died, better if no one knew the location of the cure. "It's not a tale, Nik. It's real and releasing him will destroy us all." He moved to grab onto Shane, intent on snapping his neck and letting the secrets go with the man to his grave, but Klaus was quicker, shoving him away and pinning him to the wall with one of the pokers he'd talked about using.

"Silas is real and soon I'll have the spell that wakes him," Shane muttered, slowly coming back to reality.

"That's impossible," Kol shook his head. It had to be.

"I have the tombstone. Dozens dead in a blood sacrifice. One courtesy of your own brother," Shane replied, smiling at him. Klaus looked back at the man, realizing what that meant. He had been played by this Professor. "Kill me and you'll never know where it is."

Klaus narrowed his eyes, fists clenching in rage, and Kol tried to dart past him after tearing the poker out of his own chest. Klaus grabbed hold of him, slamming him down to the floor.

"You can't let him do this, Nik," Kol protested, struggling to be released, trying to flip his brother off of him. If he could get close enough to the professor he could end this all in one easy stab.

"You will not mess this up because of your superstitions," Klaus warned, grabbing onto Shane and flashing the two of them out of the room.

Kol knew there was no point in going after Klaus. Not with his mind made up like it was. Not to mention if the Mystic Falls gang knew about it then his brother wasn't the only one that he needed to be stopped. He needed to find leverage against Klaus, to help make his brother see reason and join him on his side. And then he needed to relocate the Covens he had once known, hopeful that they could help stop the rise of Silas.

Usually, Kol wouldn't mind some destruction, but he liked the world. He liked to be the one to cause pain, to learn, and to conquer. It would be impossible to continue doing that if there was no world left.

He looked around the room, trying to figure out what to use against Klaus, what he could dangle in front of his brother in order to get him to do as he needed. Kol spotted the sketchbook on the tabletop. He didn't even need to open it. He already knew what was inside, sketched on nearly every page, and he knew exactly what he could take that would have Klaus doing whatever he said.

* * *

It wasn't hard to locate Caroline. He already knew where her house was considering it was always a good idea to know where the members of any local council lived in case they needed to be dealt with. So after a few minutes he knew she hadn't been inside but that the Sheriff and Salvatore brother were expecting her to get there at some point. Kol stood to the side, angling himself behind a tree and utilizing the shadows to hide him from anyone's prying eyes. It didn't take long to hear her voice in the wind, and he whipped his head in the direction it came from, easily spotting the girl walking down the street.

She was on her phone, not paying any attention to her surroundings, but he knew he had to act fast. Snap her neck, get her into the car, and get off the street before her mother or friend was able to catch him. Simple enough.

"Look, I'm almost there, Stefan. I can literally see the front door so can we finish this when I get inside?" Caroline asked and he was pleased to watch her hang up the phone a second later.

Kol flashed out in front of her, offering up a smile as realization as to who he was hit her. "Sorry, darling. But you're what is known as leverage." He snapped her neck before she could make a sound, catching her body as she fell, and easily lifted her up and to the car. He deposited her in the back seat, knowing it would take an hour or so for her to wake up and he would be where he needed to be by then and have other means of holding her captive.

He dialed his brother's number, holding the phone to his ear as he began speeding down the street and toward the boundaries of Mystic Falls. "I do not have time for your—" Klaus started, and Kol smiled at the anger he heard there, knowing it would only be magnified in a minute.

"Hello brother. I have the pretty little blonde. We're leaving town," Kol started, waiting for the eruption he knew Klaus would have at that news.

"If you—"

"Yes, I know. Tear out my liver." Kol replied, remembering the threat his brother had doled out to him a few months back. "If you'd like to see her without a stake driven through her chest, you'll do as I need."

"She means nothing," Klaus bit out, but Kol wasn't buying it. Knew that his brother didn't like being ordered around by anyone.

"So you won't mind if I pull over and do it right now then? She's a pretty little thing. Maybe her and I could have some fun before I do it," Kol remarked. "I think I'd enjoy trying to drive her insane. Like dear old Mary."

"What do you want, Kol?" Klaus asked, and Kol could hear the fury in his voice. Knew he'd picked the right choice.

"I'm glad we're finally starting to be honest with one another, Nik," Kol began. "It's been so long since we've had an honest conversation." He smirked at his brother's low growl, knew it was time to stop playing around. "Silas is not allowed to rise. I'll give you the girl after you've killed the professor and gotten rid of the Hunter's mark."

"Do you even realize what you are asking of me?" Klaus demanded, his voice rising with each word.

"You have until the end of the week," Kol replied, hanging up before his brother could respond again.

If it didn't work he'd do as he said, dispose of Caroline, and work the witch angle to stop the rise of Silas. That mattered more than anything. Even more than his own family. Something told him though that Klaus would do as he needed and that was only going to be the first part of a very long journey ahead for them.

Kol looked back at the still dead Caroline and smiled before returning his attention to the road. "You and I are in for a long ride tonight, Caroline."

Next stop, New Orleans.

 


	2. Chapter 2

" _There are no bargains between lions and men. I will kill you and eat you raw."—_ Madeline Miller

* * *

The urge to fling the phone across the room, to watch it shatter into pieces, was hard to push down, to force away. Klaus knew he couldn't do that. He had no idea what Kol's actual number was, had never bothered to put it to memory and he would need to remain in contact with his younger brother if he was ever going to get Caroline back.

Though maybe this was what needed to happen. Maybe he should step back and let Kol break the blonde, destroy her in ways that Klaus couldn't seem to do, no matter how much he had contemplated doing so. Caroline had somehow wormed her way into the heart he had thought long dead and wouldn't leave it. No matter what she seemed to do, no matter the betrayal that she doled out to him, she steadfastly remained there and he couldn't seem to extract her from it.

As quickly as the thought entered his head it was banished, pulled from the dark recesses and flung out of reach. Kol wasn't allowed to sully her light. If his brother tarnished one hair on her head, Klaus knew that he would dagger the boy. He despised the intense reaction she drove inside of him, the desire for her loyalty, for her love, for all of her to be his and only his. He didn't like the distraction she caused to his thoughts, to his plans, and yet he savored every single moment she acted as distraction for him, taking what he could get from their meetings.

Klaus had meant it when he called her collateral damage. That was all she was ever supposed to be, a means to get the Sheriff on his side and to teach the upstart Lockwood a lesson. He had noticed her before; that fierce loyalty she displayed to Tyler when he was forcing the boy to transform, had overheard countless conversations between the two whenever Tyler was listening to her on the phone around the mansion. She was beautiful, there was no discounting that, but her loyalty to Tyler, a werewolf turned hybrid, that she shouldn't have wanted to be around in the first place because of the distaste each race had for one another coupled with the fact she did not beg him for her life when he entered her room had been what truly drew him to her at first. Then to top it all off she hadn't feared him in that moment, had told him that she thought he was there to kill her, how little she thought of him, how she threw back his words of freedom and told him that she wasn't free that she was dying…that had been his undoing.

He spoke of things that he knew would entice her, small town girl who probably hadn't seen the world considering what he knew of her at that point, and saw that light in her eyes, that need to see what he spoke of and still she didn't ask, didn't beg as so many others had. She simply told him the simple truth that she didn't want to die; such strength in one so young. He could have delivered a vile of the blood as he had done so for Damon, for others who had needed the cure only his blood could give. Could have sliced his hand even then and let his blood fill some cup for her to drink from.

But he had wanted her lips on his wrist; he'd wanted to feel her small body curled up against his own. At first as a punishment for Tyler, the boy would know he could get into his girl's house, as a way to show the Sheriff that he truly did hold her daughter's life in his bare hands. But then it was pure need to hold her, chin brushing her hair as he rested his head on top of her own, cradling her to him with one arm as she took what she needed from the other.

He left that night feeling accomplished, having gotten what he set out for, and yet, still feeling dissatisfied. It wasn't until he returned home that he even realized what had him in a mood. He didn't want that bracelet branding her, that worthless trinket that was wasted hanging on her wrist. She deserved more than some useless bauble and so he had delivered the bracelet, a nice little gesture that also let her know he could come and go as he pleased.

Everything he gave she shot down, rebuked his advances, spurned his mentions of things she'd like, and it drove him to her more. That loyalty that never wavered even when he could smell her arousal, could see the way her pupils dilated, the little hints that she didn't even realize told him she wasn't as immune as she tried to play it. It would have been so easy to compel her to do as he wanted, to give herself to him, but he wouldn't do that. It wouldn't be real and he wanted whatever Caroline Forbes gave him to be real—the attitude, the sarcasm, the wit, the smiles at the pageant. A compelled Caroline would be nothing but a puppet and he'd had enough forced loyalty, enough people frightened into following him, that he wanted her to come to him because she desired to do so. Nothing else would quite suffice.

He couldn't let Kol destroy her, wouldn't let him, but he needed to know that knowledge Shane had cooped up in his head. He couldn't let the chance for a cure go to waste; he needed Elena back as a human, needed to be able to create more hybrids, ones who would never falter in their needs to please him, to obey him. His own personal army to use as he saw fit. He would make certain that it worked this time, compel the lot of them after they were hybrids, doubly ensuring their continued loyalty.

His phone rang and Klaus glared at the offending object, not at all surprised to see Stefan's name on display. He had a feeling he knew why the vampire was calling, but he had no desire to answer and let it continue to ring. He'd deal with Stefan's worries later.

Klaus rounded on the professor who had been sitting on the steps of the house that was under construction. He could smell the man's excitement, heard the constant yammering on about this being a dream come true, and wanted it all to end. Excitement would get him nowhere. He needed information and he needed it now. The sun would be rising soon and it was only a matter of time once that happened for someone to realize that Professor Shane wasn't where he was supposed to be.

"You have no interest in the cure," Klaus started, smiling as he looked down at the man.

"None. You can have it, do what you want with it. All I want is Silas," Shane assured him, rocking his feet up and down on the step. He was a ball of nervous energy, but still no fear. "I want to awaken him."

"Why?" He found it rather curious that the man would want anything to do with the immortal that Klaus had thought lost to time. Stories of Silas had been used to scare children when he was young, but nothing of the man had been talked about in nearly a millennium. He could not even recall the last time he'd heard the name spoken.

"He'll make it so I can see my wife again," Shane started, and Klaus rolled his eyes. Of course.  _Love._  Wasn't that always what drew the insane ones to their cause? "He'll lower the veil to the Other Side and make it so all them can come back."

"What?" Klaus froze. Surely he had heard that wrong. It was impossible to bring down the Other Side. Furthermore that was something he could not,  _would not_  allow to happen. Doing so would bring back the Hunters, Esther, Mikael, and Finn. Every witch he had killed, every werewolf, every vampire.

"And I have almost everything I need to raise him. And when we get to him, you can have the cure," Shane continued, not seeing the reactions on Klaus' face, too far gone in his own need to explain the benefits of what would happen. Klaus schooled his features, wanting to get more information out of the man, and knew it would be best to let him continue to talk as if there was nothing wrong. It was amazing what a person might reveal when they thought you were on their side.

"What happens when the Other Side is put back into place?" Klaus asked, leaning against a beam. He watched Shane carefully, taking note of every movement, trying to decipher if there was something the man was holding back. But nothing about his body language denoted dishonesty. "You'll lose her all over again."

"That's the beauty of it," Shane clapped his hands together, and Klaus knew that type of smile that spread across the man's lips. It was the smile of one delirious to their cause, one who would never see logic or reason against what they believed to be true, to be what needed to happen. It was the smile of a madman. "It will never be restored. She'll never be able to die again. To leave me again."

And just like that Klaus knew the man in front of him wouldn't be allowed to live. He would take no chances on Esther or Mikael ever being restored, of never being able to die. He'd run already for one millennium, there was no way he would ever run again. "And what is it that  _we_  need to make this happen? I'm unsure why the map is needed if you already know the way."

"It's not just a map," Shane replied, finally looking back up at Klaus. "A hunter with the entire mark is needed to complete the spell, to awaken Silas. Without one…" He stopped talking, brow furrowing as he noted the malicious smile on the Hybrid's face.

"So without a hunter's mark you can't awaken him but I could still get my cure?" Klaus asked, amused that Shane didn't answer. Fear was starting to fill the room mixed with worry and he watched the man steal a glance toward a window. No doubt trying to determine how long before the sun rose. "Oh come now, Shane, I can call you that, can't I? We're practically old friends now."

Klaus stepped forward, delighted as the anxiety seemed to peek, sweat starting to bead on the man's head, blood pumping just that bit faster. He wondered exactly how high the professor's blood pressure had spiked. Shane swallowed, but he kept his mouth clamped shut, defiance in his eyes even as his hands began to shake. "No? Then I suppose I'll have to make you. It would have been easier on you if I could compel it out of you, but I find this way to be infinitely more entertaining."

Klaus swiftly reached out, catching the man by his neck, hard enough to leave bruises but still allowing him access to his vocal cords. "Make no mistake, Professor, I am going to kill you," Klaus told him, pausing for a moment to let that register. The realization that hope was dwindling fast, the desperation he could see and smell coming off the man was only fueling his need to make what happened next as painful as possible. "It's up to you how quick a death you get. I personally hope you choose the option to try and hold on as long as possible, keeping secrets from me. You had to go to someone to find out what you know and it'll be easy enough to retrace your steps in the last year or so."

He tossed him away then, letting him hit a nearby wall. Nothing broke, but there would be some nasty bruises forming because of the impact. Klaus glanced around the construction site, looking for anything to use on the man who was trying to push himself up. He hoped he tried to run. He'd always enjoyed the chase, but surely the Professor knew that if he'd really done his homework.

Klaus found a hammer tucked under some plywood and nails and screws littered the floor in places. Turning back to Shane, he grinned, pleased with the terror in the man's hands. "Feel free to scream."

* * *

Coming to after a snapped neck was never a fun experience. Being swallowed by darkness and experiencing nothing for who knew how long, the vulnerability that encompassed being almost dead, teetering on that fine edge and waiting to see if she would be thrust over it, unable to defend herself was something Caroline  _despised_. She hated being vulnerable, unable to protect herself from others, and coming to in the back of a car she didn't know was not how she had wanted to spend her evening.

_Kol_.

She remembered that he had stopped her on her way home before snapping her neck. She didn't even need to glance at the driver's seat to confirm it was him who had her, not with how he was belting out the lyrics to whatever he was listening to. Maybe she could fling the car door off and bolt out of it before he realized she was awake. If she just kept running, put all of her power and strength into getting as much distance between her and him, maybe she would actually have a chance.

"Ah ah ah, darling," Kol started, cutting through her thoughts and Caroline tensed, knowing that he knew she was awake. "I'd hate to go chasing after you only to snap your neck all over again. Nik was always the one who enjoyed the chase. I'm more of a taunter. I like driving them mad."

Who the hell cared if he could snap her neck again? That only mattered  _if_  he managed to catch her. So what if he was stronger and faster than her, she was twice as determined. What could it hurt to give it a shot?

"I should warn you that after snapping yours I think I'll need to head back to that quaint little town. Possibly snap your mother's as well. Something tells me she won't recover from it like you will," Kol continued, and Caroline narrowed her eyes at the threat.

Because that was what that had been. There was little doubt her mind that he wouldn't carry out on it either. "What do you want with me anyway? Because I have this big chem exam on Monday and I kinda need to pass it to keep my 4.0 GPA," Caroline bit out as she pushed herself up so that she was sitting. "So whatever wacky scheme is going through your head is not allowed to ruin my grade point average."

"Like I told you before, you're leverage," Kol replied, tapping his fingers against the wheel to the drum solo that started up. "So that my brother actually listens to me for once and doesn't do something foolish. He has a tendency to act rashly at times. Others he's a planner. Bit of a conundrum that one."

"So what do you need him to do exactly? Aside from not acting rashly." Couldn't Kol have simply asked his brother? She was never going to understand the Mikaelson family dynamic. One second it was like they hated one another, the next they were ready to rip to shreds anyone who dared to say anything against one of the siblings.

"I need him to kill some people," Kol replied, switching lanes and Caroline peered out the window, trying to figure out where they were. There weren't any signs aside from the speed limit and that really wasn't giving her any clues. She didn't know which direction they had headed or how long she had been out.

"Did you try and ask him?" she asked, leaning back against the seat as she cracked her neck, trying to get the kinks out of it. "He likes doing that. I'm sure he'd have been more than happy to fulfill your request. He's kind of on a roll with it tonight anyway." She cringed at her own words, remembering that Klaus had not only killed his hybrids but Carol Lockwood as well. She just hoped that Tyler had gotten out, that he hadn't doubled back after she'd seen him off, because she worried if her boyfriend found out that she'd been kidnapped that he would try and stay behind and Caroline knew that Klaus would kill him.

"It'll lose him access to the cure," Kol informed her, and Caroline sighed. Yeah, Klaus wouldn't agree to kill anyone if that were going to happen. The Hybrid might not have wanted it for himself, but to gain himself new hybrids by curing Elena, to keep it out of others hands who might want to use it against him; he'd stop at nothing to get it. She could see why Kol asking Klaus wouldn't work in that instance.

"Okay, so why exactly take me then? Because seriously not seeing how I am any kind of leverage," Caroline muttered, even if she had an idea. She didn't want to give name to it though. Didn't want to believe that she was valuable enough to Klaus for him to alter whatever plans he had about something. "He's not going to care that you have me. Not when it means losing out on what he really wants."

"Oh, darling," Kol started, the amusement back in his voice and Caroline glared at the back of his head. She really didn't like that endearment. "We both know that's not true. Otherwise, you would have had your heart pulled out after being involved in the plot that got me daggered the first time. I wouldn't have gotten orders not to bother you or the annoying little doppelganger."

Caroline frowned, not really in the mood to contemplate anything that Kol was saying, what his words implied. She knew she should have been dead a number of times considering her participation in so many events. The mere fact that she had used Klaus' feelings towards her to gain her friends what they needed should have gotten her a target on her heart. And she wasn't dead. She was perfectly fine, not a scratch on her.

"Denial is an ugly shade on you, Caroline," Kol continued, and she saw him peering at her in the rearview mirror, his smirk nearly identical to his brother's. She hated it. "Not really sure what it is that he sees in you."

"Your sister asked me that once, why don't you go to her for the answer?" Caroline bit out, and for a moment wondered if she shouldn't have tried reeling in her sass. Kol wasn't Klaus. She had no clue how he would react to it, to her, and she had no intentions of dying any time soon.

"Careful, darling. I might like sharp tongues on pretty little things, but I'm just as prone to cut out those tongues," Kol informed her and Caroline glowered at that, trying not to show precisely how fearful she was of her current situation.

She knew she shouldn't provoke him, but she also knew that cowering would get her nowhere fast. She needed to find some kind of middle ground, figure out how to work around Kol. Fear seemed to be a turn on for vampires, something she'd realized along the way that her body drank in and wanted to cause more of, but she forced that need down, just as she did with the one for blood. The Originals didn't do that though and she had a feeling that Kol lived for fear. Maybe he had been able to get the drop on her, to kidnap her, but that was the last time he was going to make her feel like a victim.

"It'd heal," she muttered, crossing her arms as she looked out the window. "Also I'm pretty sure you're not supposed to harm your leverage." She really didn't like that word.

Kol laughed. "I was never one to play by the rules."

Caroline scoffed. Of course not. "Where's my phone?"

"I tossed it out of the car when we left Mystic Falls behind," Kol replied, switching channels on the radio.

"Rude. Not all of us have money just growing on trees to replace things when we're done being used as leverage," Caroline groaned. She had just bought that phone and didn't relish trying to scrounge up enough money for a decent one.

"It's called compulsion, Caroline." He glanced back at her again, his tone one she usually heard reserved for very tiny children. "Or are you one of those goody two shoe vampires?" She glared at him which only made him laugh again. "Now I really don't see what he sees in you. Don't tell me that you feed from animals."

"No, I don't." Except when being a good friend and hunting with Stefan to keep him company, but she'd stopped actually feeding during one of those get togethers ages ago. Fur in teeth was disgusting.

"You bag it, don't you?" Kol inquired. "Nifty little process. Learned more about it during my recent travels. But even that's a poor substitute to the real thing. Lacks the heat of the body, the adrenaline, and the pitter patter of their heart as it starts to fail."

"Why are you so interested in how I feed?" Caroline groused, crossing her arms in annoyance. She hadn't had anything to eat since the night before and all the talk about it was only making her hungry.

"I'm interested in what it is you did to make Nik, self-proclaimed 'love is a vampire's greatest weakness', find you at all enticing," Kol told her. "Enough so that he didn't pull out your heart right away after you distracted him and let the others dagger me. Because we both know, darling, that you walking into the grill dressed up like you were was all about enticing him to follow you back out and separate us."

There was no point in denying it. She'd been used plenty of times to distract Klaus from whatever the rest of the gang was doing, from what Tyler had been doing. "Don't worry. I'll figure it out eventually," Kol continued, and Caroline really didn't like merriment mixed with anger she found in his voice, in his gaze. "We're going to be joined at the hip for a while. Maybe I'll be able to show you how to be a proper vampire."

"Excuse you," Caroline scoffed, glancing back at him and rolled her eyes. "I am a  _great_  vampire."

"No, you're a neutered one," Kol replied, and she really wanted to reach across the car and knock the smirk off of his face but refrained from doing so. "When was the last time you compelled someone?"

" _Today_ ," she smirked, though April hadn't actually been compelled but she had thought she'd done it, had intended to do so and that counted.

"How about feeding from the vein?" he continued, changing lanes and she looked back out the window, shrugging in response. Just because she didn't feed from the vein didn't make her a bad vampire.

"Killed someone?"

Caroline flicked her attention back to him, narrowing her eyes. "Killing someone doesn't make you a good vampire."

"No? Then what does, darling?" Kol inquired and Caroline really didn't like the way his voice lilted on the endearment. He was mocking her and she knew it.

"Controlling it," she bit out, staring back out at the darkness and watching the endless mass of trees flicker by.

"It?" There was that underlying mocking delight again and she could only imagine the mischievous twinkle in his eye as he asked his question.

"The bloodlust," she muttered, gaze locked on the window.

"Oh, Caroline, how wrong you are in that," Kol laughed, and she decided she really didn't like his laugh. It was nothing like Klaus'. Whereas the Hybrid's laugh had wrapped around her, bringing forth her own and putting a smile on her face, reminding her that he wasn't all horror and death, Kol's made her think of someone who was on the edge and just waiting to fall to one side or the other, not caring who he took down with him.

"Where are we going?" she asked, needing to change the topic of conversation.

"You'll see," Kol replied and reached over to turn the volume up, conversation finished.

Caroline rested her forehead against the window, staring out at the trees that flicked by as they drove. She could see the sun beginning to rise and knew from the direction it was coming from that they were headed west. She didn't know Kol or really understand his motivations. Didn't know where they were headed or why really. Yes, she was leverage and she figured getting her to a place where Klaus couldn't so easily track her down was a smart move but she had a feeling there was more to the current journey than the Original was letting on. He seemed to be heading somewhere, had some sort of destination in mind. There had to be a reason why he didn't want the cure found too, and Caroline didn't think it was simply because it might be used on him.

So she'd keep her eyes and ears open and see if she could figure out exactly what was happening and why Kol didn't want his brother to get the cure.

* * *

He had to hand it to the man, Shane had definitely held out far longer than Klaus thought he would, but there was only so much pain a human could endure. He didn't really need any more answers out of the man anyway, but he didn't want Shane's death to be quick. Not when the man had been holding out his true agenda for so long. What would have happened if he'd been allowed to lead the others to the cure without any of them knowing the consequences? What if he had succeeded in awakening the damn immortal and getting the Other Side destroyed?

Klaus had already run for one millennium and he had no intentions of ever running again. "Others besides me will carry this out," Shane muttered, eyes nearly sealed shut because of the bruises on his face. Blood trailed down from his nose, came out in his coughing fit. "Killing me won't change anything."

"Perhaps not, but it'll get me what I want," Klaus replied, dropping the hammer to the floor. Not the cure, no, but disposing of the man and offering proof of his death was one step closer to giving Kol what he needed and freeing Caroline. It was a step toward not allowing the veil to drop, that threat of Esther and Mikael ever returning becoming nothing more than a passing nightmare.

Not to mention it'd stop the man's incessant prattle. It was amazing how much he could speak about nothing even as his bones were being broken, the sheer agony he must have endured during every crack, every blow doing nothing to make it cease.

Klaus' phone rang again and he drew back from the man. What was a few moments before he finished the deed? "Stefan, my friend, to what do I owe this continued harassment?"

"Where the hell is Caroline?" Stefan demanded, and Klaus grinned, watching the Professor's breathing grow increasingly shallow.

It wouldn't be long now before he expired. If he'd actually answered as Klaus had wanted maybe he would allow him this easy death of letting his injuries get the better of him, but he'd sealed his fate by trying to keep secrets.

"I haven't seen hide nor hair of her since I left you two," Klaus replied, amused by the other vampire's annoyance. "Did you lose her in the last few hours? Hopefully she didn't run away. I was quite clear in my warnings."

"I don't know what game you're playing but I swear," Stefan started, and Klaus narrowed his eyes. How  _dare_  Stefan even attempt to speak to him in such a way? Had he forgotten how close he had come to death earlier that night? How Klaus had held his heart in his hand and graciously allowed him to keep it?

"Stefan, you're on thin ice as it is. I've found very little reason not to tear out your heart and eat it for dinner in the last few hours. Don't tempt me to do so to you, your brother, and that annoying little doppelganger. I can use the cure on Katerina just as easily as on Elena." Klaus clenched his fist at his side, anger once again starting to weave its way through his body. It seemed his earlier discussion with the vampire hadn't quite gotten the message through to him. He'd need to rectify that later on.

He hung up before Stefan could answer and slipped his phone back into his pocket before turning back to address the dying professor. "Any last words?" Klaus asked, but reached forward before Shane could say anything again, lifting him up, and walked him back toward the stairs.

Klaus had broken one of the railings from its position, creating a lovely jagged edge that pointed at an odd angle into the air, suiting his purposes perfectly. "Considering you seem to know my history particularly well, I think you'd almost find it fascinating, befitting that this is your manner of death," Klaus stated, and then he impaled the man through the through the rod.

It'd been a method of execution he'd enjoyed centuries before, one that the so called 'father' a vampirism was particular to. Vlad Tepes, that prince of Wallachia, who had been tied forever to Dracula by Bram Stoker. Funny how it would never be mentioned in history books precisely who had shown the man his preferred method of torture. Historians always seemed to speculate that the man had learned his methods while in the hands of the Ottomans, but it hadn't been just his time there or their company that had shown him the gruesome manner of death. All the villages and fortresses he plundered and burned to the ground hadn't been truly his own doing—not all of them at least—but it was better to give that reputation to another, a way to throw Mikael off the trail.

Klaus looked over at his handwork and lifted his phone from his pocket, recording a short video of the results. There would be no denying from Kol that the man was dead. The fact he could tell his brother of what the plans to raise Silas truly meant should also have him believing that Klaus had carried the deed. There was more to do to secure Caroline's return and once he accomplished that, Klaus would need to figure out a way to retrieve the cure without awakening the immortal. He at least needed to try and see if there was a way to do so. He couldn't leave it to chance that someone else might stumble upon it and use it against him, but he could take out all hope of the Mystic Falls gang every getting their hands on it in the near future.

Klaus stiffened, hearing the heartbeat a moment before he heard their voices. Damon. Elena. The witch. He wasn't surprised that they had found him, no doubt gotten Bonnie to use a locator spell. He had no intentions of dealing with the trio. If anything, them being there allowed him the perfect opportunity to take out the next obstacle. He flashed out of the building just as they entered it, smile spreading across his face as Bonnie's shriek of despair and disbelief echoed through the night. Her screams followed him as he headed toward his next target, gut-wrenching sounds of someone who had lost something precious, and he laughed. The sound was harsh and spread out through the wilderness as he moved, causing the other creatures who had been going about their nightly routine to freeze and cower until he passed.

He could only imagine the thoughts going through the trio's heads. The plans they would be devising, the threats they would be volleying about. Never quite able to follow through on them or get them to go anywhere really.

If only they realized what they were about to lose next.

* * *

This couldn't be happening. Shane wasn't allowed to be dead. He was the only way she could get her magic back, the only way she had a connection to any kind of power. She'd tried living without it, not having contact with the spirits since they had all turned their backs on her after all she had done to protect her family and friends. After she had saved Klaus, something they had been vehemently against, and Bonnie hadn't wanted to do it. The alternative of letting her friends die,  _her mother_ , wasn't allowed. She had done what she felt was needed to keep them alive, to help them, and in the process the spirits had turned their back on her.

It had felt like she'd lost part of herself, like the very heart of her was gone and she felt empty. Except it wasn't emptiness that she felt, but a gaping hole that only seemed to grow bigger inside of her with each passing day, each time she'd tried to do anything to reconnect with magic and had nothing happen. It was torture, driving her insane a tiny bit every day and she didn't know what to do.

Bonnie had been so lost in how to help her friends any longer, what her role would be, how she'd continue to protect them. Shane had come along and been like a guardian angel, giving her hope that not all was lost. He'd shown her how to regain control, how to find new power and utilize it as she needed. Bonnie didn't think she could do it without him, didn't know how to access that plane of power that he had her tapping into.

She screamed for the loss of the connection, for the fear that she would go back to feeling that emptiness engulf her again, at being useless to help her friends. Klaus was gone before she could do a thing to stop him—she  _knew_ that it had been him. Who else would have taken him? Who else would have killed him in such a gruesome manner? She could only imagine how much the older man had suffered in his last few hours on earth.

Where was the justice then? If she'd been able to use the spirits, maybe she could have found him sooner? Instead relying on her haphazard hold on the power Shane had been tapping her into. She could have saved him then and Bonnie screamed again, cursing the spirits, cursing the unfairness of it all. She was on her knees, palms pressed onto the cool tiled floor and vaguely she could hear Elena trying to soothe her, trying to assure her that they could figure out a way to help. Something about vampire blood, but Damon was already putting that down.

Shane was dead, not on death's doorstep. Shoving vampire blood down his throat wasn't going to bring him back.

"We need to leave, Bonnie," Damon stated, though it was coming out more like an order, and she reeled around at him, eyes flashing in anger. He took a step back, brows furrowing at the energy that was coming off of her.

"No," Bonnie bit out, turning back toward Shane, trying to remember what they had talked about. There had to be a way to bring back the dead. She'd done it for Jeremy, but she'd had the spirits help.

What if she could trade his life for someone else's? What if she could swap their places? That was a possibility, wasn't it? Somehow. She ignored the tiny voice in her head, mimicking her grandmother's voice, telling her to not turn down the road she was precariously teetering on. But her grandmother was dead. Her mother was dead to her…long before she'd become a vampire even. And now Shane.

"Bonnie," Elena called out, reaching for her friend, and it was her voice that caused Bonnie to snap.

Elena, who was now a vampire. Who should never have been a vampire. Just like Caroline shouldn't have become one. She'd fix it for all of them. Turn them back to human, get rid of the Originals and their threat to the world, and they could go back to the way things used to be. They could follow through on their original plans for college, for everything. There would be no more blood bags, no more supernatural beings trying to use them or abuse them.

"Elena,  _move,_ "Damon urged, forcing her out of the way of her friend who looked like she might blow at any moment. He could hear people coming toward the house, no doubt the builders who had been working on it, but there was nothing he could do for them. Better they meet their end than him or Elena.

Bonnie turned towards the door, wind picking up again around her and swirling about. She didn't know what she was chanting, the words coming from deep inside, her eyes rolling into the back of her head as the workers entered the house, eyes turning black as the power took hold of her. It was like she no longer had control of her own body, every motion she did felt as though someone else was doing it and all she could do was watch from the inside, screaming at it not to happen. This wasn't what she wanted; this wasn't who she was, but she couldn't seem to make her hands stop their movement, couldn't force her mouth to close or the words to stop spilling forth.

The workers never got a chance to speak, never had a chance to run. Their bodies lifted into the air as her arm raised, necks cracking as she flicked her wrist. She turned toward Shane, trying to harvest the energy of their deaths to bring him back. Grasping onto it with all of her might, but she didn't have the focus, didn't have enough among the dead to channel what was needed to accomplish her fete.

She fell to the ground, gasping for air and spitting up blood as reality came crashing back down around her.

"What the hell did you just do?" Damon demanded, trying to grab onto Elena who was already rushing to her friend's side.

"I don't know," Bonnie sobbed, shaking her head at the dead men littered along the floor and she looked at Elena who was touching her shoulder. "I don't know. I didn't…"

Elena pulled her close, staring in shock at the bodies as well, but trying to offer some comfort to her distraught friend. "We need to get out of this house  _now_ ," Damon urged again, roughly lifting the two of them to their feet.

"What about Shane?" Bonnie couldn't stand to look at him again, knowing how much he must have suffered at the hands of Klaus. "I can't leave him there."

"I'll deal with him," Damon growled, trying to steer them to the back door. They needed to get out of the house and he needed to destroy any evidence that they had ever been inside of it. "Elena get her to the boarding house and  _stay there._ "

Bonnie knew there was no use in arguing about that, not when Elena's grip tightened on her arms, flashing the two of them to the Salvatore place. There would be no convincing her friend to take her anywhere else or letting her leave. Not after Damon had asked it of Elena.

_Sire bond._

Bonnie's eyes narrowed, energy dancing through her for a split second as her anger seemed to sweep through her veins. That was another thing she needed to make sure she added to her list. It was unnatural and no matter what Elena might say, it  _was_ changing her, and not for the better.

_It'll be okay,_  she thought as Elena brought them into the house, anger seeming only to grow with each passing second.  _I'll fix everything._

Somehow.

She would just need to carry on in Shane's absence, find out exactly what the next step was supposed to be, what her part was in it. Figure all of that out and then get her friends and her back the lives that had been so carelessly ripped from them when the Salvatore brothers had ventured back into town.

Her Grams. Jenna. Alaric. Her mom. Caroline's dad. Vicki. So many others dead and Bonnie knew that she would stop at nothing to somehow right it all. No matter what the cost.

* * *

It was a charming little shop. A family owned grocer and fishing supply store that catered to the lake houses. Never get a lot of business on the off season, only the few locals that bothered to stay year round, but it kept afloat by being the only place to get anything for miles around. Not unless one wanted to head back into Mystic Falls to buy something and the whole point of coming out to the lake houses was to leave the town behind for a period of time.

Perfect setting to find some easily compellable people to do his bidding. A quick taste of the older gentleman, his wife's screams quickly erupting in the air as Klaus bit into the man's neck, making sure they weren't on vervain before easily subduing and then compelling the old couple and four customers that had been loitering inside.

His directions were simple enough: get the occupants of the Gilbert lake house to come outside and after that kill them. By any means necessary. Klaus didn't turn them, doing so would give Jeremy reason to kill them and only add further notches to the tattoo that needed to grow. A tattoo that was never allowed to see the light of day.

Klaus leaned back against a tree at the end of the pathway, watching the group head toward the house, shot guns, knives and gasoline canisters in hand. He kept an ear out in case any of the rest of the Mystic Falls gang came around, noting that only Jeremy and the quarterback were inside. It didn't take long for their heartbeats to begin to race. It almost synched nicely to the front door and porch going up in flames.

He could hear their hurried words to one another, noted which direction they would be coming from to escape the flames that were climbing up the house. In a flash, Klaus was at the backdoor, throwing Matt out of the way and then grabbing Jeremy as he exited. He had to give credit, the boy tried valiantly to fight, even managed to knick him on the arm with the stake, but it did little to falter Klaus from his goal.

In one swift motion he had Jeremy on the ground, sword rising above to strike. "You kill me and you'll go mad," the Gilbert boy reminded, tiny flicker of hope in his eyes that he could come out on top.

Klaus enjoyed watching it die as he brought down the sword, cutting off the hand that held the ring. It was better not to take any chances that it might actually bring him back. Never knew if the humans being compelled would make his death a supernatural one. Klaus doubted that was the case, but better not chance it this time. "I'm not going to kill you," he informed the boy as his screams erupted through the air, Matt's cries of disbelief mingling with them.

Klaus stepped back, picking up the hand and removing the ring for safekeeping. Never knew when such a trinket might come in handy. "I'd rather leave that to my new friends," Klaus continued, motioning to the compelled humans who had made their way around the house, ready to dispose of the two.

He walked backwards away from the group, smirking at Jeremy's cries for Matt to get the hell out, but it was no use. A shot rang out and then another and just like that he heard the heartbeats decrease to nothing. The compelled group headed back to their cars as directed and wouldn't remember a thing of what they had done. No witnesses and two very human deaths.

He hadn't forgotten Finn's death, that older brother that he had abhorred at times but hadn't wanted dead. Would have preferred to keep him locked up in a coffin for another century or let him run free with Sage if it would have kept him from doing anything stupid. Now his death was avenged and the Hunter's mark was no longer in play. At least not until the next potential made an appearance, but really who knew when that would happen or where.

A few pictures recorded later and Klaus heard the snapping of a stick. He arched a brow, noting who had arrived. He could have stuck around so that Damon could spot him, could know that he'd had a hand in their deaths. He wanted to step forward and rip the vampire's heart from his chest and deliver it to Stefan. A nice little gift to go with the tone he'd been on the receiving end of earlier.

Instead he flashed away. He had a phone call to make and he could always make Stefan suffer for his insolence another day.

* * *

Caroline had been doing her best to ignore Kol and pretend she was highly interested in the scenery that passed by as they drove. Internally she was trying to figure out a way to either subdue him or get herself out of the mess she was currently in. She just needed to do it without putting her mother at risk because Liz Forbes' death was something not allowed to happen for a good fifty more years. If even then. She had been so engrossed in her own thought process that she didn't realize they were pulling into a gas station until Kol had parked them beside one of the pumps.

"Going to let you do this part," Kol informed her as he glanced over at the attached convenience store. "I need a snack and haven't bothered to learn how to do such a menial task."

"I don't have my credit card on me," Caroline pointed out, having a feeling that he didn't have one of those either.

"I'm sure you can use those vampire abilities of yours to get us what we need to continue on," Kol replied, mirthful tone back in play. "And just to warn you, if you run, I won't bother to chase. I'll simply stroll on back to your little town and kill your mother."

Kol was out of the car before she could reply and she glowered at his vacated space before leaning forward to take the keys from the ignition. At least he'd turned the damn car off correctly. More importantly, at least he knew how to  _drive._  Ugh. How had this become her life?

Caroline slipped out of the car, looking around the small roadside station to try and get a better gauge on where they were at. She knew they had been heading west and after some more traveling had a feeling they were headed south as well, but she hadn't seen any signs to tell her which state they were in yet and she wanted to know at least that much. Any little bit of information had to be helpful.

There were a few cars in the parking lot, one with a tag for Tennessee, the other for North Carolina. She figured that meant her assessment in heading southwest was correct and it narrowed it down to at least two states. Maybe.

But gas, right. Something told her that if she didn't figure out how to fill up their tank that Kol would do it and he wouldn't have a problem with leaving a good deal of bodies in his wake to do so. She didn't have any money or access to a card. Calling her mom wasn't an option. How exactly was she supposed to get the stupid gas?

Caroline glared at the pump, trying to come up with a couple different options and vetoing each one as soon as she thought of it. Another car pulled next to the pump behind her, two young men getting out of it and not so subtly looking her over. One headed into the store as the other went to the pump, sliding in his card and going about the steps before glancing back at her. Caroline spared a glance at the store, making sure no one was paying much attention to them and slid on over to him, smiling as she moved.

She watched the lazy smirk form on the stranger's lips, could smell his arousal as she walked closer. "Hey there," he greeted, southern accent an enjoyable treat after having nothing but Kol to listen to for the last bit. She didn't know where it originated from though and cursed her lack of traveling. Maybe if they had gone on more trips as a family she'd be able to differentiate accents! "You look like you're in need of a hand."

Caroline smiled her best Miss Mystic smile, keeping her stance friendly and engaging as she approached him. She reached out and grazed her fingers against his arm, openly flirting with him and almost felt bad at how happy he seemed to be to be receiving the attention.  _It's keeping him alive,_  she reminded herself and got to work.

Gaze locking on his, she let her compulsion start, hopeful that he wasn't on vervain. She had no idea how common its use was across the states and made a mental note to look into that once she was home. "You're going to give me your card and tell me your pin. You won't remember that you gave it to me and think you must have lost it later on today. That's what you'll tell the card company tonight around six when you realize it's missing," she informed him, smiling as he handed over his card and uttered his pin to her. "Sit in your car and wait for your friend to come back out. Then go about the rest of your day as if nothing happened."

Caroline twirled around and headed back to the pump, sliding the card through and easily paying for gas. She set the pump up to distribute gas into the car and headed into the store to pick up some snacks for the rest of the journey. She could feel the dull ache starting in her gums, alerting her that she would need to feed soon. She wanted to get some things to help stave off her bloodlust and the boredom that she could already feel settling in. There was only so much window watching that a girl could do when she couldn't control the music and had no intention of talking to her kidnapper.

Ten minutes later, Caroline tossed the card into the trashcan and carried her bag of goodies to the car. Kol was sitting in the driver's seat, pump already back in its place and tapping his fingers against the wheel. She slid into the back, tossing him the keys. "You missed a spot," she grumbled, noting the flecks of blood on his shirt and rolled her eyes in annoyance that he'd gotten to feed.

Hopefully his donor wasn't lying dead somewhere.

"Utilizing your abilities to get what you want," Kol stated as he started the car and pulled out of the station.

"What I  _needed_ ," Caroline corrected, pulling a magazine out of the plastic bag.

"I didn't realize that reading material on beauty tips was a need," Kol replied, and Caroline didn't even bother to look up, knowing he was smirking at his own wit.

"Shows what you know," she muttered, flipping the page and intent on ignoring him again.

The sound of his cell ringing interrupted whatever comeback Kol had and Caroline glanced up as he sifted the phone out of his pocket. "Hello, Nik," Kol answered and she wondered if Klaus found his brother's cheerfulness as grating as she did in that moment.

Caroline attempted to act nonchalant, flipping through the pages of the magazine as Kol talked to Klaus. She could hear every word though and she knew that the Original would know that she could do so. He probably  _wanted_  her to hear. Their conversation didn't reveal much to her though, just that Klaus was sending proof of whatever he had done—she  _really_  didn't even want to contemplate that part. She knew Kol wanted some people dead but she didn't want to believe that some of her friends might be dead. Maybe it was just Shane. He seemed to be the one who had any idea what was actually going on and where to really find the cure. Maybe Klaus had only killed him.

Her stomach lurched at how hopeful she was for that man's death, but she didn't know him, and while she would feel bad for Bonnie at least it might mean that the rest of her friends were  _safe_ and Caroline couldn't deny that she was more concerned for their wellbeing than a professor that she didn't care about.

"Klaus wants to talk to you, darling," Kol informed her, holding the phone out for her to take.

Caroline glared at the object for a second before turning back to her magazine. " _Not_  interested," she bit out, louder than necessary to ensure that Klaus heard her through the phone.

"Sorry, Nik, but she's not in talkative mood," Kol replied, impish smile on his face and for once Caroline didn't find his amusement with the situation to be grating.

She heard Klaus' insistence, something about daggers and Kol held out the phone again. "He's insisting," Kol told her, waving it around a little.

Caroline sighed, but took it from him. Maybe he would forget she had it on her when the conversation was over? She could definitely use that to her advantage. "What do you want?" she snapped, narrowing her eyes at Klaus' chuckle.

"And a hello to you too, love," Klaus replied, and she could imagine the tiny smirk playing over his features. But there was an undercurrent of danger still running in his voice, the same one he'd had the last time she saw him and she swallowed, keeping her eyes fixed on the window as Kol started to drive. "Has he been treating you well?"

"Aside from the snapped neck and threats against my mother he's been just lovely," she mused, rolling her eyes at the question. "But hey, he didn't nearly pull one of my best friend's hearts from their chest so you know; he's doing a hell of a lot better than you are right now."

"Not yet anyway!" Kol merrily piped up and Caroline pressed her lips tightly together at that.

"If I meant to actually kill Stefan, Caroline, he would already be dead," Klaus told her, and she didn't like the coldness to his tone then. She really didn't like how it wormed its way into her body, sending shivers down her spine when he was miles away.

"So then because you let Tyler go that means you don't mean to kill him?" she asked, trying to understand it all, unsure if she should be hopeful or not even bother attempting for her boyfriend to come out of everything okay.

"No," Klaus replied, and she closed her eyes, not wanting him to continue, knowing what he was going to say. "I'd rather him go a little mad first."

"Nik always did like the chase," Kol reminded from the front and Caroline glared at him, wishing she wasn't having this conversation or at least didn't need to have it with him listening in.

"I hate you," Caroline hissed, unsure which one she was speaking to at that point. Probably both of them and she clenched her eyes shut, emotions getting the better of her as she felt her fangs pushing out of her gums, could feel the veins on her face coming out to play. She took a deep breath, ignoring Klaus and Kol as she got herself under control.

"Such an intense emotion. Hate," Klaus murmured, and she tried to focus on her breathing, not wanting to hear his voice. Especially not with how it was trying to curl inside of her head, enticing the monster to stay out and play. "Those whom we love, we can hate; to others we're indifferent."

"Shut up," Caroline snarled, despising the way he could twist words and circumstances to fit how he wanted them to.

"Give me the phone back," Kol ordered and she shoved it into his waiting hand, not caring that she'd lost the opportunity to keep control over it. She just wanted it as far away as possible, for Klaus to be as far away as possible.

"I'm sure you're raring to meet us, Nik," Kol spoke, and Caroline pressed her forehead to the window, knowing any hope of Klaus remaining away was dwindling by the second. "We'll be at the last place you daggered me. I'm sure you remember the location brother."

Kol cut off the call before Klaus could answer, sliding his cell back into his pocket. "Don't look so glum," he started, and Caroline kept her gaze outside, knowing she probably wouldn't care for whatever Kol said next. "Once you give in he'll tire of you and tear off your pretty little head so you'll never need listen to him speak again."

Caroline glanced up at the ceiling, not at all surprised that Kol had said that and uncertain whether it was supposed to make her feel better or worse. Probably the latter. Whatever. She'd bide her time and learn what the hell the two Originals were apparently up to—which had to be something more since Kol wasn't just letting her go now that he'd gotten what he wanted, or at least she thought he had. Who the hell even knew anymore? All Caroline did know was that she was not about to let Klaus or Kol win anything. Not if she had a say and if they were going to be keeping her around, she'd make certain that she had one.

 


	3. Chapter 3

_If you suppress grief too much, it can well redouble. -Moliere_

* * *

"I'm going to find her, Liz," Stefan tried to sound reassuring as he looked over at the Sheriff who was standing in the Forbes' kitchen. She usually stood with so much inner strength, a small beacon of stability in the Mystic Falls community. However, after Caroline hadn't returned, finding her daughter's broken cellphone, and Klaus not being any help, she looked haggard and the worry was etched into all of her features. It was there in the way she held her mug, hands shaking ever so slightly. It was in the way her gaze darted to the door at any little sound, hoping it was her daughter walking through the door.

"Maybe she decided to go with Tyler," Liz started, nodding along to herself, unsure whether she should be hopeful or not for that scenario. As long as Caroline was safe, that was all that really mattered.

Stefan knew that wasn't a possibility though, not with what Klaus had threatened if she had done so. Caroline would never have risked her mother's life like that, of that much Stefan was certain. There had to be another explanation and he had a feeling that Klaus knew a hell of a lot more than he had been letting on. That man only ever gave what little truth he needed to if he didn't want to give away some part of his larger game. So he didn't doubt that Klaus hadn't seen Caroline, but that didn't mean that the Hybrid didn't know her location.

He just needed to figure out where the hell Klaus was and then maybe he could be led to where Caroline was at; hopefully without getting his heart torn out in the process.

Liz' cell beeped and she sighed, pulling it out and looking down at the text alert. "I have to get in the office. There's strange activity down by the lake," she told Stefan, setting down her full cup of coffee. "Keep me updated on Caroline."

Stefan nodded, brow furrowing at the lake comment. The others should be there and he had a feeling he should head over that way and let them know about Caroline's disappearance. Maybe Bonnie could use a locator spell to find her. "I'll let you know as soon as I know anything," he promised, offering up another reassuring smile as Liz headed to the door.

He waited until she was at her cruiser before flashing off in the direction of the Gilbert lake house. The smell of smoke and burning wood got stronger the closer he came to it and his eyes widened as he arrived, taking in the house that was nearly engulfed in flames. Matt and Jeremy's vehicles were still in the driveway but he didn't see Damon's or Bonnie's anywhere. He couldn't hear any heartbeats and Stefan didn't know what to think of that.

There was a flash to his right, someone arriving to stand beside him and Stefan swerved, ready to defend himself when he saw Damon. "What the hell happened?" Stefan demanded, motioning toward the house.

"That's not even the worst of it," Damon replied, nodding toward the back before flashing away.

Stefan followed him, nearly stumbling over his own feet as he stopped short of Jeremy's body. He spotted Matt off a few feet to the right and caught the smell of gunshot in the air. "Shot, couple of times," Damon told him before nudging Jeremy's body with his foot. "Even cut off his damn hand."

No hand meant no ring and no ring meant no miracle saves. Not this time. Though a gunshot would have meant death anyway for the young Gilbert. The ring only protected from supernatural deaths and a gunshot was definitely not one of those. "Shane's dead too," Damon continued, looking back at the burning house. "Didn't see him do it but my money is on Klaus for that one." He shook his head. "Should've seen what he did to him. Would have probably made Ripper you proud."

Stefan shot him a glare but didn't bother replying to that. The sound of sirens could be heard in the distance and no doubt the fire department and Sheriff Forbes were on their way. "We need to get them out of here now. Cars too," Damon told him, already hauling Jeremy up. "You get Donovan."

"What are we telling Elena?" Stefan asked, and he watched Damon pause for a moment, saw the tension in his brother's shoulders, could almost feel the despair coming off of him with knowing what that would do to the girl they both loved.

"Just get him into the car," Damon replied before heading off.

Stefan watched him for a moment, before looking back down at Matt's body. He could remember the last time he'd spoken to him at the bar, that easy going laugh that the guy had after a life of hardship. Matt Donovan would never get out of Mystic Falls now, would never know what else the world had to offer him. He was dead and that was a tragedy. Same with Jeremy and while the younger Gilbert had died a few times and been brought back, the fact that there was no second chance again hit Stefan hard. He could only imagine how it would affect Elena.

The nearing sound of sirens spurred him into action to retrieve Matt's body and get him into his truck. Shane was dead, the one who could have led them to the cure. Jeremy was dead, also able to do that with his growing tattoo. Matt…he couldn't think of a reason for the Quarterback to have been killed. There wasn't anything special that the kid could have done. Was it a case of wrong place, wrong time? Or had Klaus done this as well? Guns weren't really the guy's M.O. but Stefan knew he wouldn't have killed Jeremy with his own two hands anyway, not with the consequences that went along with killing a Hunter.

As he placed Matt into the back of his truck, watching Damon drive Jeremy's car away from the lake house, Stefan thought of Caroline. Was she out there dead somewhere? He'd been so sure Klaus wouldn't kill her, but looking at the burning house, at the dead boy in the truck, he wasn't so sure any more.

Backing the truck up and heading away from the house, passing Liz' cruiser and the fire truck that was headed toward the burning building, Stefan let out a heavy sigh, hoping that when he did find Caroline that she was alive. He didn't think he would ever forgive himself if she wasn't.

* * *

Bonnie sat on the middle of the bed in one of the rooms of the Salvatore boarding house, legs crossed and eyes closed as she tried to concentrate. Her mind was a mess, clouded by her own thoughts and feelings and she needed to clear it, wanted to try and work on some of the spells Shane had been working on with her. Nothing seemed to help though. Her attention was everywhere and she couldn't even bring the candles in the room to light.

Each passing moment furthered her frustration, building up inside of her until she felt as though she was ready to explode. Hanging around and waiting for Damon to return wasn't helping her any. She needed to get out of the house, needed to do  _something_  to carry on what Shane had been teaching her. The goal of finding the cure had only intensified with his death and she wasn't about to sit around and wait for someone else to tell her what to do. Too often she had let others lead her and where had that gotten any of them?

She had relied on the spirits who had all abandoned her when they didn't like what she had done, relied on Shane who had unwittingly done the same, her mother who had left and started a new life without her and couldn't even stick around when given a second chance. It was time to rely on herself and learn what she needed to do in order to help her friends, to fix the chaos that had become their world.

Part of her couldn't help but want to feel her grandmother again, wanted to have her presence there to help guide her, but she was cut off from the woman. The spirits had taken her away, had caused her Grams so much pain, and she had felt it, watched her grandmother be pulled away to endure horrors she didn't even know of.

Because of  _Klaus_.

It always seemed to come back to the vampires.

That alone spurred her into action and she pushed herself off the bed and headed out of the room. She needed to get to Whitmore, needed to find what she could from Shane's office and then head to his apartment and gather information. He had to have kept some kind of record of his travels, something to tell her the next step aside from just getting Jeremy to kill more vampires. Maybe she could get him to start up again with Damon and break Elena from the damn sire bond.

Bonnie headed out of the room and toward the front door, unsurprised when Elena appeared in front of her. "What are you doing?" Elena asked, blocking the doorway. "We're supposed to stay here until Damon gets back."

"I'm done listening to Damon Salvatore," Bonnie replied, narrowing her eyes at the thought. Listening to Damon hadn't ever ended well for her. He was the reason her mother was a vampire.

"He just wants us safe. He's getting rid of the evidence," Elena told her, nodding along as she talked, and Bonnie shook her head, hating that her friend seemed to truly believe that of the vampire.

"Shane is not evidence!" Bonnie yelled, and the lights flickered behind them. She balled her fists at her side, trying to reel in the magic she hadn't been able to tap into earlier.

"The men…they are," Elena told her and Bonnie faltered for a moment, remembering that she had killed the construction workers.

Guilt should have been enveloping her, it should have been bringing her to her knees over what she had done, but she didn't feel any. There was only dissatisfaction that it hadn't worked. Doing so had failed to bring Shane back.  _She_ had failed to bring him back. Her mind wrestled with the implications, a small part of her shouting to think of the men's families, of all they had lost, but it was quickly pushed aside and drowned out by the louder part egging her on to do better.

Bonnie stepped toward the door again, but Elena followed, trying to get her to stay. "You can't leave," Elena protested and something about the way her friend said it had Bonnie thinking that Elena might actually try and stop her.

"Yes I can." Bonnie didn't move a muscle, her anger and frustration finally boiling over and seeming to power her newfound magic. She stared hard at her friend, watching Elena's knees buckle as she forced her to the ground. She ignored her friend's gasps, pinning her in place as she walked past her.

"Bonnie, don't go," Elena pleaded as she hissed in pain.

"I'm doing this for you," Bonnie murmured as she opened the door.

"Where are you going?" Elena asked, clawing at her own skin because of the pain that was throbbing through her body.

Bonnie didn't answer, keeping her hold on Elena, pinning her to the ground as she headed toward her car. She could hear her friend calling for her, pleading for her to come back, but she ignored it all, her focus absolute and unwavering. It wasn't until the car was halfway down the drive that she released Elena, listening to her friend scream for her one last time.

She knew Elena wouldn't follow. The sire bond wouldn't let her, and that alone affirmed in Bonnie's mind that what she was going to do was the right thing. Elena would thank her in the end. She was going to get them their lives back.

* * *

It was hard to feign disinterest when she was in a city she'd only ever read about or seen in movies and on television, and was now currently being ushered through. She tried to take in bits and pieces of the architecture as she was tugged along, hearing pieces of music creep out of this door and that one, laughter rippling down on alley that led to somewhere that even more music and mirth seemed to lead to.

Caroline tried to sneak a look down it, to take in the vibrant colors, but Kol's grip on her arm was relentless and he pulled her along, quick enough that she didn't see much aside from flashes of color. She waited for someone to notice that they were moving too quickly, but it seemed those they flashed by only noticed a quick breeze, looked over their shoulders for where it might have come from, and then shook it off and continued to walk toward their own destinations.

She had tried to wrench her arm free earlier on but his strength far surpassed her own and it seemed she had been right in her earlier assessment. She wasn't free to leave just yet, even if Klaus had apparently done whatever Kol had wanted. Caroline narrowed her eyes at the back of Kol's head. She was so damn tired of being someone else' pawn.

Her steps faltered as the smell of blood hit her, unable to keep back her fangs after having gone without for nearly two days. Kol stopped flashing them, turning back to her with a curious look that turned into a full blown smile. She didn't like it at all, that mocking quality she didn't think would ever leave him coming into play again.

"Hungry?" he asked, and she narrowed her eyes at him as she forced her body to regain control.

" _No,"_  Caroline snapped, gaze flicking to the man across the street who had accidentally sliced open his hand while cutting fruit. A woman was wrapping it up and saying something to him in a language that she didn't know, but she had a feeling from the woman's body language that she was chastising the man.

"Oh come now, darling," Kol urged, nodding toward him. "I think he'd make a marvelous little snack for you."

Caroline yanked at her arm, trying to get out of his grip again. "No? Shall we look for someone else? Are you in the mood for a male or a female today? Any particular preference on age? A hair color you prefer? Some vampires can be so particular in what they pick," Kol mused, and she hated the lilting tone as he started them moving again. "Or are you fonder of a specific blood type? They do taste a little different, don't they?"

Caroline refused to reply, mentally trying to remember all the details for the prom committee. How many chairs? What were the food preferences? Color scheme…what was it again? The little mundane details helped stave off the hunger she knew would become a problem if she didn't satiate it soon. Maybe she could compel herself a rare steak, anything but what Kol was trying to tempt her to do.

They had stopped again and Caroline waited for more taunting, but Kol released his grip on her and nudged her toward the door. "No eating anyone in here, Caroline," he told her as he opened the door, pushing her inside and closing it behind them. "We need them alive."

She didn't really understand why he had been in such a hurry to get to a tourist shop. That was where he had sped them along to, a tiny store situated among others that sold little trinkets for tourists. Tiny shot glasses, t-shirts about the city, Mardi Gras, and various other events and locations that attracted out of towners to enjoy. Not that she could knock any of it. She kind of really wanted a shot glass and a t-shirt to prove the fact that she had stepped foot in the city.

Maybe she could compel herself one…

Caroline watched as an older woman stepped out from the back of the store; head down as she headed into the room with an armful of new shirts to put out on display. "Two for fifteen dollars on shirts or one for ten," she chirped, before finally looking up at them.

Her eyes widened and for a moment Caroline wasn't sure if it was out of fear or astonishment, but the smile that seemed to envelop the woman's body, cheer just erupting out of her as she dropped the shirts, confirmed the latter. "Kol Mikaelson," the woman greeted, shaking her head as she stepped forward, pulling the Original into a hug.

Caroline watched the entire encounter between the two, trying to figure out what was happening, highly interested in the fact that this woman not only seemed to know who Kol was but was also _happy_  to see him. The fact that Kol had been daggered for a century meant…

Witch. She had to be a witch.

"See you got the dagger out of you," the woman continued as she pulled back, finally glancing over at Caroline. She really didn't like the distaste the woman seemed to direct at her as she was looked over. "New groupie?"

"As if," Caroline scoffed, crossing her arms in annoyance. The witch's assessment of her seemed to change in that instance, nodding approvingly.

"Caroline, this is Zelda, an old, powerful friend," Kol introduced as he leaned back against one of the tables. "Zelda, this is Caroline. She's Klaus'."

"Excuse you," Caroline bristled, really not liking that being her definition. "I most certainly am  _not_  your brothers." Not now. Not  _ever._

"Quiet, darling. We can discuss your delusions later," Kol chided, and she balled her fists at her sides, resisting the urge to whack him. "We need to talk." The door opened and a group of tourists entered, pointing animatedly at some trinkets they wanted to purchase. "Privately."

"And here I thought you were visiting because you missed my charm." Zelda arched a brow at him but nodded toward the back of the store. "Let me deal with this group and then we can talk."

Kol reached to grab Caroline's arm again but she deliberately side stepped him, heading around one of the other tables out of his reach. She headed back toward the door Zelda had pointed out to them though. Running still wasn't an option for her. Plus she was kind of curious as to what Kol wanted to talk about with a witch, one powerful enough to keep herself from significantly aging for over a century.

"Not one for cages, are you?" Kol mused as he followed her into the back room that seemed to serve as storage and an office. Caroline noted that there was another door at the back of the room and wondered where it led.

She didn't bother answering Kol's question and hoped Zelda wouldn't take too long to join them. It'd be so damn nice to speak to someone else, to simply hear someone else's voice after being cooped up with Kol for so many hours. "I don't like being ignored," Kol informed her, and she heard tension in his voice, the threat behind his words.

"No, I'm not," Caroline snapped, looking up at him as she sat down on one of the chairs. She had been in a car for freaking ever and forced to wander all over New Orleans with him. Her niceness meter was shot.

Thankfully, he seemed to only be amused by her anger. "Your annoyance is much like my sister's," Kol told her, and Caroline snorted at that, really not in the mood to be compared to the Original girl. "She always enjoys throwing things at me when she's in a mood." All genialness disappeared as he caught her gaze with his own, his expression hardening. "Do you know where she is? She hasn't answered her phone in ages."

Caroline shook her head. She didn't even have to lie this time. She had no clue about Rebekah's whereabouts. "I haven't seen her in a while. She was hanging out with April Young back home. She might know."

Kol nodded and looked away, body still rigidly tense but he leaned against the wall as they waited for Zelda to finish up her own business. Usually Caroline was all for trying to fill up silences, but for once she was happy to let one ride out for as long as possible between her and Kol.

Zelda entered a minute later, ushering the two of them to the other door and into a different room. There were couches set up around the fireplace, a desk off to the side and a bookshelf full of what looked to be very old novels. There were cabinets as well to one side, their doors closed and Caroline idly wondered what was inside of them as she sat down on one of the couches, waiting to see why Kol had wanted to see the witch. Gathering as much information as possible was important because one way or another she was going to get out of the Original's grasp, away from Klaus too if he actually showed up, and head back to her friends. Caroline meant to be able to fill them in on everything important when she did so.

As soon as the door closed, Caroline watched Kol falter, stumbling to the ground. His face contorted in pain, body stiffening as if he was being barraged by some power she couldn't see. She glanced over at the witch, unsure whether or not to be pleased with the current circumstances. She wasn't experiencing any pain herself and that had to be a plus, right?

"No bullshit, Kol. Why the hell are you darkening my doorstep again?" Zelda demanded, and Caroline swallowed hard at the cold look the woman directed her way.

"Oh come now, Zee," Kol started, voice as cheerful as it could get as he winced at the pain, trying to keep from falling further down as he kneeled at the witch's mercy.

Zelda twisted her hand and Kol cried out at the movement, body seeming to bend under an enormous weight. "Answer the question."

"Someone is hell-bent on raising Silas," Kol bit out, and just like that the witch stopped her movements, releasing Kol from the hold she had over him. He was up in a second, grabbing onto the witch and pushing her against the nearest wall. "I do not appreciate the welcome."

Caroline watched as his vampire features appeared, fangs elongating and she could smell the older woman's fear then, the tension in the room heightening tenfold. Kol tapped the witch on the nose, tsking at her before he stepped back, releasing his hold and walked over to join Caroline on the couch, his face smoothing back to normal. "And here I thought we were friends," Kol chided, leaning back and smiling brightly at Zelda who was massaging her neck.

"Tell me about Silas," Zelda replied, ignoring everything else he had said as she headed to the bookshelf, removing a few volumes and spreading them out on the desk.

"Seems people are trying to raise him again. A professor already located where he's being held," Kol informed her, and Caroline watched the woman suck in a breath at that. The tension in the woman's shoulders seemed to heighten as she turned back toward them.

"The Professor located him?" Zelda asked, flipping through one of the books for a moment before peering over at them for a moment. "You're certain?"

"Yes," Kol nodded. "He said he already knew how to get there. Had been there before. He was pretty happy about that."

"Then it's already started," Zelda sighed, closing the volume she had been looking at and leaned heavily against the table. She seemed to have aged significantly in that moment, her appearance growing haggard, exhausted, the vibrancy she'd been showing earlier in the shop disappearing completely.

"What?" Kol snapped, rising from the couch. Caroline tensed at the anger that was radiating off of him. Whatever he'd wanted to hear it definitely hadn't been that. Though, she'd really like it if they would actually start making some sense in what they were saying to one another. Who the hell cared if this Silas guy woke up?! Wasn't the cure the objective?

"He's already waking," Zelda slammed a hand against the desk, her frustration growing and she turned fully to look at them. "Silas has been since that man stepped foot there and made contact. If he hadn't he never would have made it away alive. The magic that surrounds that place would have driven him mad and he'd have wasted away to nothing. Never able to reveal his secrets to anyone else."

"Okay, time out," Caroline interrupted, needing to be brought up to speed before everything got entirely too confusing. "Who the hell is Silas and why does it matter so much if he's woken up? I thought that the whole point was the stupid cure?"

"World's first immortal, darling. Try to keep up," Kol replied, and she scowled at him.

"Yeah, they so don't go around just teaching that at school so if we could roll back a step and actually explain that'd be great," she snapped, her annoyance growing and forgetting that it probably wasn't a good idea to antagonize the monster before her.

Thankfully Kol simply laughed. "I know the whole Qetsiyah and that part because of Bonnie and Shane, but not getting why some myth is such a big deal," Caroline continued.

"You're a myth," Zelda pointed out with a small smile. Caroline didn't like how condescending she found it. "We both are really. I'm a witch who's over one hundred years old and you're a vampire. To most we're fairytales, little stories told to children to entice them, scare them, but we're real. Just as Silas is real."

"Okay, I can accept that but why are you two making it sound like end of the world or something if this guy wakes up?" Caroline asked, leaning forward as she tried to grasp that much.

"Because it will be," Kol replied with a shrug. "End of the world as we know it. He's supposed to end up destroying it if he's awoken and I quite like the world. Would like to destroy it on my own terms. Watch a little of it burn here. Let it regrow while I topple something else and revisit the place I smashed to pieces later on. Can't really do that if it's destroyed completely."

"Nice priorities you have there," Caroline muttered before looking back at Zelda. "So how is he supposed to destroy the world?"

"By waking and destroying the Other Side," Zelda replied as she sat down on one of the chairs. "He thinks doing so will allow him to take the cure, become mortal and pass on to where his true love waits. Unfortunately he's a witch. He'll always be supernatural. There is no getting rid of that from his blood. So even if he destroys the Other Side he won't reunite with her."

Caroline frowned. "Well, why not? Like if there's no Other Side then why wouldn't we just…go elsewhere?" They had to go  _somewhere_  didn't they?

"It was destroyed in the making of the Other Side. Qetsiyah didn't quite think that one through," Zelda spat, her eyes narrowing and Caroline had a feeling the other woman wasn't a big fan of the former witch. "We won't ever die. We will forever stay on this world." Zelda leaned forward, locking her gaze with Caroline's. "How long before the human population is demolished? With those who need to feed on them? Those wanting to use their sacrifices to grant them more power? Silas raging at being thwarted from reuniting with his one true love all over again? Everyone who's ever died will come back. A huge upset in the balance of nature. Too many witches, werewolves and vampires roaming around. It'd be pure chaos. And the humans would be collateral. This world would become nothing but a wasteland of chaos and carnage."

Caroline swallowed and leaned back against the couch, the scenario playing over in her mind. She couldn't even contemplate what that would be like. There were some pluses to it, being able to see people like Jenna again. Even Alaric…but would he be the Alaric that she had been able to call friend or the one who had tortured her? What about the wolves who had tortured her and she knew had met grizzly ends, the Hybrids, witches, and other vampires who had died? It would be a giant mess and one that would never end.

What about her mom? Her utterly human mother who had brushed death too many times for Caroline's liking. She had a feeling that would only increase if the Other Side was destroyed.

"I see you're contemplating the severity of such a thing ever coming to pass," Zelda murmured, and Caroline snapped back to reality, looking over at the woman and then at Kol who was also lost in thought.

"We should be alright," Kol started, leaning against the desk. "Klaus disposed of Shane, got someone else to kill the Hunter. We're good to go."

Caroline froze at his words. She'd known Shane was dead but Hunter….that meant… "Oh my god, he killed Jeremy?" But he couldn't have, Klaus wouldn't have because of the curse…but if he'd had someone else to do it…

Kol shrugged, not even sparing her a glance. "Pity, I did find Jeremy to be rather amusing. Would have made a fun companion for a while."

Elena. She needed to talk to Elena and Bonnie. Oh god. Jeremy couldn't be dead. The last person in her best friend's family. Caroline wasn't sure that Elena could handle that, especially not with her emotions being so severely heightened.

"So how do we stop him from rising?" Caroline asked, trying to keep her stomach from churning at the thought of poor Jeremy, of how devastated Elena probably was because of her brother's death.

"You need to find the cult," Zelda surmised, rising and moving back to the bookshelf.

"I killed them all, remember?" Kol reminded, sounding entirely too proud of himself. "Slaughtered the whole lot and their families, distant cousins as well to be on the safe side."

"They'll have started again. You need to find them and blot out their existence," she pulled down another few books, putting them onto the table. "I knew Valerie was up to something."

"Valerie?" Caroline asked, not entirely sure who Zelda was referring to as she murmured to herself.

"A witch I knew. Not all that crafty with spells and suddenly back in 1942 she had a significant spike in power and started dabbling in matters she never should have messed with," Zelda muttered, slamming one book down. "She disappeared a few years back but her daughter is still around—Nandi. She might know her mother's whereabouts."

"I'll be sure to have a chat with her later," Kol replied, and Caroline cringed at the way he said chat.

"You will leave her alive when you're done with her," Zelda told him, and Kol didn't reply, just smiled brightly. From the dark look in his eyes, Caroline didn't think he'd be following that directive.

"You need to find Sanai and her Coven. They know how to destroy Silas once the cure has been jammed down his throat. They'll have the power to take him down," Zelda finished, pulling an old, discolored paper out of one book. "They won't be easy to find and I do not know if they would trust the likes of you anyway. Though, I'm certain they know you did kill the first lot of the cult. That may give you some leeway, but they're not very fond of vampires."

"I knew a Sanai," Kol replied, an almost wistful tone to his voice. "She was from a tiny little place in Africa. Don't know what it's called now. All those changing boundaries and names with all of that conquering."

Zelda shrugged, handing him the paper. "But anyway, find the coven, jam cure down his throat. Sounds doable," Kol continued, opening up the paper and Caroline strained to see it, frowning at the words in a language she didn't know.

"For now," Zelda sighed, sitting down again. "We'll see how long it takes his darkness to filter through the world and place as many obstacles between you and your goal. Did Klaus kill the witch?"

Caroline bit her lip, not liking the question. What witch? Were they talking about back home because there was really only one witch in Mystic Falls and she couldn't handle her friend being dead as well. It wasn't allowed.

"Witch?" Kol asked, motioning for Zelda to continue.

"If he found a Hunter than he'd have needed a powerful witch as well. One who was being tutored in expression," Zelda replied, and Caroline's insides froze at the word. Any hope that the woman hadn't meant Bonnie died with mention of that magic. Wasn't that what Shane had been teaching Bonnie? She knew she hadn't liked that man. "The witch needs to die as well. Did he already do that?"

The door opened and Caroline didn't even need to turn around to know who was standing in the threshold. His presence was like a cloud that seemed to envelope her in darkness whenever he was nearby and this time was no different.

"No, but I can," Klaus stated, stepping into the room.

Caroline didn't even think, her own safety be damned, as she rose from the couch, grabbing onto the tableside lamp next to her. She lunged, wanting nothing more than to hit Klaus with the object, to stop him from fulfilling what he said he'd do. She heard Zelda suck in a breath, the woman's fear becoming more prominent, while Kol laughed, merrily and grating on her nerves, as Caroline tried to strike Klaus. He was too quick, easily catching her arms and relieving her of the lamp while simultaneously smashing her body against him, locking her in place so she couldn't do any damage.

"Lovely to see you too, sweetheart."

* * *

Stefan parked Matt's truck behind the other car, watching as Damon got out and headed toward the house. It looked like they weren't worrying about the bodies just yet. He couldn't even remember what had happened to Matt's mom and Jeremy's only family was inside the house, no clue what had happened to her little brother. He leaned forward against the steering wheel, trying to steel himself for what was going to happen, for Elena's reaction to losing Jeremy and Matt in one swoop.

With a heavy sigh, he got out of the car and headed toward the house, not at all surprised when his phone rang. He fished it out of his pocket as he continued toward the house, noting Liz' name on the screen. "I'm guessing you're at the lake house," he started, stopping at the doorway, not quite going past the threshold.

Was he supposed to be there for this moment between Elena and Damon? He wanted to offer her comfort, but considering where things stood between the two of them he wasn't sure Elena would welcome or need it. Though he wasn't all that sure that Damon knew exactly how to offer comfort either.

"What the hell happened here?" Liz asked, and he could hear the voices in the background. Firefighters trying to put out the flames, lookieloos hanging around to see what was happening. "Tell me all of you are safe, Stefan."

He didn't answer right away and heard Liz suck in a breath at that, immediately realizing her greatest fear. "It was Jeremy and Matt. Damon and I got their bodies out of there," he told her, leaning against the door frame as he watched Damon catch Elena who dropped to her knees at the news.

Stefan shut his eyes, each sob tearing at his heart, twisting inside of him like a bullet. "I think it was Klaus," he continued, stepping outside to give Elena and Damon some space.

"Why would he burn down the house?" Liz asked, and he could hear the worry in her voice, that underlying tone wondering about her daughter, the fear really sinking in about Caroline's own whereabouts.

"Maybe to force them outside. They were shot," Stefan told her, closing his eyes as Elena's cries got louder, the words she was shouting, pleading with Damon to tell her that it wasn't true. "Klaus couldn't kill Jeremy with his own hands. Not with what it would do to him now. He'd have needed to get others to do it for him."

"You're telling me that one of the people standing here watching this house go up in flames might have unknowingly killed two teenage boys?" Liz replied, blowing out a long wind of air at the idea of it.

"I'd kind of rather believe it was him for some unknown reason than we've got another crazier guy in our midst," Stefan pointed out. The idea of someone else coming into Mystic Falls to kill the two really didn't sit well with him.

"What if she was…?" Liz started, unable to finish her thought, but he knew she was referring to Caroline.

"I don't know. I don't think she was but I don't know." There was no point in lying about it, in trying to sugarcoat it for the woman. He had no idea what Klaus would or wouldn't do any longer, not with how far they had pushed the Hybrid.

"I need to get back to corralling everyone, but let me know Stefan as soon as you know anything," Liz told him, hanging up after he promised again to do just that.

Stefan turned back to the house, heading inside and braced himself for Elena's breakdown. The closer he got the louder her sobs became and the harder it was to hear them. What was supposed to help her with this? When Jenna had died she'd had Jeremy to hold onto, to live for. Same after Alaric had passed. After her parents. What was there now? He wasn't sure if he or Damon would be enough for her to want to go on living.

"Elena," Damon grabbed onto her shoulders, nudging her to look at him. "Stop crying."

Stefan narrowed his eyes as she did just that, sob catching in her throat and tears stopping as soon as he said it. "You're fine," Damon continued, his voice quieter but still urgent, tone still demanding. "Everything is going to be fine. Just go lay down."

"What the hell are you doing?" Stefan demanded as Elena nodded and got up, heading off to do as Damon had directed.

Damon rose, waving a hand at her retreating form. "Didn't you see her? She's devastated. She's going to drive herself crazy crying like that."

"She's  _grieving,"_ Stefan yelled, dropping his hands in frustration as he stared disbelievingly at his brother.

"Grieving doesn't help anyone," Damon replied and turned on his heel, leaving Stefan standing alone in the room.

Stefan stared at where the two had been, could hear Elena laying down on a bed, Damon opening up the liquor cabinet. He knew there would be no talking to his brother in that moment and Elena wouldn't listen to reason either, not with the sire bond forcing her to lie down. Her mind had to be a mess, warring with itself over whether to grieve or if everything was perfectly fine as Damon had told her. He wondered what kind of damage that could do to her psyche if it kept up too long.

He pulled out his phone again and dialed Bonnie's number. He needed that locator spell done now, needed to know that Caroline was alright. "I'm busy, Stefan," Bonnie answered, and there was something off about her tone, something in it that just didn't sit right to him but he couldn't' quite place why he felt that way about it.

"Jeremy and Matt are dead, Bonnie," Stefan hastily told her before she could hang up. He heard the sharp intake of breath and knew she was still listening. But there was no crying, no scream of outrage, no emotion to the boy she cared for and a friend being dead. He didn't like it at all. "Caroline's missing and I need—"

"Don't worry," Bonnie told him, her voice eerily calm. "I'm going to fix everything."

Stefan stared down at his phone when he heard her hang up, shaking his head in disbelief. What the hell was going on and what in the world was he supposed to do next?

 


	4. Chapter 4

_No one ever told me that grief felt so like fear_. -C. S. Lewis

* * *

Caroline twisted in Klaus' grip, trying to get him to let her go. It was useless, he had her practically crushed to his chest and no matter how she struggled he wouldn't release his hold. It was suffocating to be so close to him, almost as if his presence was trying to overpower her, to overwhelm her and suck her into the darkness that she had come to associate with him. But Caroline refused to be pulled into it, wouldn't allow him the satisfaction of her pleading for her friend's life, for the tears that were threatening to spill forth because of her frustration and worry over everything that was happening.

She meant to show him exactly how strong she was, that she would never bow to his whims, and so she narrowed her eyes, glaring up at him as she pushed against his chest, still trying to break free. "You can't kill Bonnie," she protested, her voice eerily calm, trying not to betray that immense worry she felt for her friend. Hadn't Caroline learned by then that Klaus pretty much did whatever he wanted and really, who would stop him? He'd escaped death; he'd escaped containment so many times that she wouldn't be surprised if it had become child's play to him.

"Not only can I but I will if I need to," Klaus told her, voice colder than she'd ever heard it and she didn't like the way it twisted down her spine, paralyzing her with the finality of it. Nor did she like the way his one hand dug into her back, fingers biting into the fabric of her dress, bruising her skin underneath. She realized what he was doing, just like he had with his grip on her chin only a day or so ago. This was a mark and she didn't like the thought of him possessing her.

" _No_ ," she shrieked, emotions entirely too heightened and her finely tuned control slipping away as she bared her fangs at him, wanting so badly to make him hurt in that moment. Could she rip open his throat before he had a chance to stop her? Kol would probably end up staking her in response for it, but Caroline had a feeling it'd be worth it for the shock on Klaus' face the second after her fangs sunk into his neck.

Except she was wary of how Klaus' fangs descended as he looked down at her, his grip tightening on her, those fingers that had only been bruising now leaving holes in the fabric and tearing into her skin. She could smell her own blood and her eyes widened because that coupled with the dark, primal look in his eyes, the yellow beginning to show in the irises, was throwing her down a path she had no intention of ever venturing. She forced her face to return to normal, fangs once again going back above the gum line and looked away from Klaus, unable to handle how he regarded her in that moment.

"If it wasn't for her you'd have been in that damn coffin and Alaric would have killed you. You'd be dead now," Caroline pointed out, trying to find a reason for him to not want Bonnie dead. Even she found her reasoning to be flawed on that one though.

"As would you," Klaus reminded, loosening his grip on her and she stepped back and away from him, the skin on her hip already knitting itself back together, but she felt like his fingerprints were seared there anyway. "As would your precious Tyler."

Caroline glared at him, but held her tongue, jutting her chin out as she sat back down on the couch. She would not rise to that bait, instead she would sit still and hope her time with the Originals was about to come to an end. Get the information she needed and be on her merry way. Something told her that wasn't about to happen, but a girl could dream, right?

"Wasn't their lover's spat adorable?" Kol drawled, and Caroline wanted to fly at him as well, to bash his head into the desk and stop the annoying lilt of his voice from echoing in the air. His cheerfulness was so damn grating, reminding her of a psychotic clown, supposed to be something happy, friendly to kids but really all it wanted to do was lure them away and gobble them whole. She really wouldn't be surprised if horror writers had been inspired by the youngest Mikaelson brother for that particular trope. "I have to say, brother, little Miss Forbes has quite the tongue on her. I'm sure you'll find a number of uses for it."

Klaus was across the room before Caroline could blink, pinning Kol to the wall. Zelda let out a heavy sigh and Caroline could see the woman's entire body tremble with fear. "Did you forget what I said I would do if you continued to speak of her in such a way?" Klaus demanded, hand wrapping around Kol's neck.

There was no fear from his brother though, only an amused laugh, high and free as though he wasn't afraid of anything. "Oh come now, Nik, we're all friends here." Kol glanced over at Caroline. "Isn't that right, Caroline, darling?"

Caroline didn't bother to reply to that, biting back a comment about kidnappers not being friend material and instead looked away from the scene. Let them kill one another for all she cared. Not that they could even do so without the white oak stake.

"Forbes?" Zelda asked, drawing Caroline's attention to her. "Caroline Forbes of Mystic Falls?"

Caroline's brow furrowed in confusion, wondering how the woman knew where she was from. "Your father is Bill Forbes," Zelda continued, and Caroline really didn't like that the woman seemed to know that either.

"How do you know that?" she asked, sensing that the dispute between the brothers had ended and their focus was once again on the witch.

"You won't need to use what I gave you to find Sanai and her Coven," Zelda replied, glancing over at Kol. "Her father can bring you to them. He traveled with them for some time."

"Been holding back on us, have you?" Kol asked, tsking at Caroline who shook her head.

"He can't. He's dead," she muttered, refusing to look at any of them for a long moment. "And what do you mean he was traveling with them?" That was definitely news to her.

"I am sorry for your loss," Zelda told her, and the woman sounded sincere so Caroline looked over at her, nodding at the genuine feel to the woman's expression. "He was making it his life's work to learn more about the supernatural world. He wanted to do more to guard against what he saw to be the evil that supernaturals could do. Something of a family legacy. The Forbes have been the guardians of Mystic Falls for some time now—usually in the form of the Sheriff."

Caroline had known that much about her family history. The ancestor her father was named after had been the Sheriff of the town back in the 1860's as had the rest of the firstborn males all the way down the line to her grandfather. But instead of her father taking on the mantle it had been her mother, while her father had left the town. He'd returned with ways to try and torture the bloodlust out of her, unable to be compelled, and had ideas of how to successfully break the Sire bond. Really it wasn't all that farfetched that he'd been living his life away to learn more about the supernatural world.

Even if it did shatter the illusions she'd have of him and Steven living a perfectly normal life together in their small townhouse in Virginia. "Not going to do us any good if he's dead, Zelda," Kol drawled, and Caroline's nails dug into her knees, refusing to reply to Kol's inconsideration.

"He had a partner, didn't he?" Klaus asked and Caroline inwardly cringed, not at all surprised he would know about that considering he seemed to have looked into her life some. "Samuel? Seth?"

"Steven," Zelda supplied, and Caroline pressed her lips together, thoroughly annoyed that the witch had given them more information. "He accompanied Bill on his travels."

"Not a complete loss then," Kol chirped, sitting down beside Caroline. "And I'm sure you can bring us to him so we can get whatever we need out of little Steven."

"Go to hell," Caroline bit out, narrowing her eyes. Like hell she was going to give them his location. Not with Klaus so easily killing people and she was pretty sure Kol would find doing so even easier.

Just like that the room seemed to grow colder, Kol's features darkening significantly and she had a feeling she would have been shoved against a wall, some piece of furniture driven into her stomach in a second if Klaus hadn't wrenched her off of the couch and behind him in one easy swoop. "Same rules apply," Klaus reminded, his tone hard and unweilding.

"You better get her to talk then," Kol demanded, already rising from the couch and glaring at her. His temper disappeared just as quickly as it had appeared, doling out a mocking smile once again. "I'm sure you'll enjoy being all sorts of persuasive, Nik. You always did enjoy breaking pretty little things to your will."

Caroline shuddered at the implications in his tone. There was a time when she would have strongly protested Klaus doing that to her, but that had been before twelve dead hybrids and his harsh promises to her. Now she really didn't know what he was capable of doing to her any longer. She realized she'd been holding onto Klaus' jacket when he'd pushed her behind him, out of Kol's reach, and she immediately let go, reacting as though the material scorched her hands.

"I'm famished," Kol continued, flashing over to Zelda, and pressing a kiss to the witch's cheek. She stiffened for a moment but when he made no move to end her life, gently patted his cheek. "Until we meet again, darling."

He glanced over at Klaus and Caroline, winking. "I'll meet up with you two later."

Silence reigned for a few moments, Caroline and Zelda trying to comprehend what had just happened while Klaus ruminated over what to do next. Caroline glanced at the witch and Klaus before looking toward the exit. She wondered how far she could make it before Klaus caught her. Probably not that far, but it was worth a shot, wasn't it? She might not get another opportunity again. She knew that they weren't letting her go, not if she could bring them to someone who could lead them to the Coven that would help save the world.

It wasn't like Caroline wanted the world to end, she wanted to save it as well, but with her friends, not with two homicidal Originals that might turn on her at any moment. She wanted to be with people she actually trusted.

Klaus seemed to have assessed her thought process and grabbed her arm. At least his grip wasn't painful that time, though she knew she wouldn't be able to break free from it. "Seeing Steven could potentially help, Caroline," Zelda told her, and Caroline glanced at the witch again, noting the streaks of grey that had appeared in the woman's hair, the increase of wrinkles of the woman's face. "The sacrifice of one can benefit the many."

"I'd rather not sacrifice anyone," Caroline muttered, blanching at the idea of sacrificing the man she had known for so many years. The man her father had loved. So not allowed to happen.

"We don't always get what we want," Klaus bit out, grip tightening on her arm before he flashed the two of them out of the building.

Caroline didn't know where they were going or what would happen next. All she did know was that she didn't like those words and she would figure out a way to ensure that Steven didn't die by any Originals' hands.

* * *

Somewhere deep inside Bonnie was screaming for Jeremy and Matt's death, cursing at the unfairness of it all for them to lose more people. Hadn't they lost enough already? Why did two more have to die? And why specifically did have to be those two—one a friend since childhood and the other the boy she loved, who she had sacrificed parts of herself to save on more than one occasion. Deep inside she was grieving for their loss, wanting to lash out at the world for this significant blow so soon after Shane's death.

Outwardly though, her expression was like stone, unfeeling and unwavering as she tore apart Shane's office, trying to find anything that would tell her more about his mission. There was movement outside in the hallway, the sounds of people coming and going and she felt the sun on her back through the window indicating that the day had started.

Waving a hand, she sent one of the chairs sailing across the room and up against the door, effectively blocking it should anyone try to get inside. A twist of her wrist pulled the fire alarm and she heard everyone start exiting the building, murmurs of drills or real scenario filling the air and she flicked her hand, causing the sprinklers to go off as well. That seemed to hurry the people out of the building and away from her.

The sprinklers in Shane's office didn't go off and she started up the computer, gaze roaming around the room again as she tried to think of where else to look. There was a photo on the desk of Shane, his wife and their son. She had heard a little about his family, knew that the other two had died in a car crash and that was what had sent him on his own sabbatical over the last year. She wondered if he had any idea where that solo retreat would have led him back then. Had he sought this out? Hoping that the myths he taught about were real?

Most wouldn't have though, even if the myths were tempting to follow, to believe in, most people nowadays wouldn't give much credence to the stories of the past. Most wouldn't believe in witches, in vampires. Not outside of the movie screens and novels meant to satisfy their own need for darkness.

Bonnie figured that meant Shane had already had an encounter with something supernatural, had already known that at least some of it was real for him to actively pursue the myths for as long as he had. Perhaps her grandmother because he had known Sheila but she wasn't one hundred percent certain that was the case.

The computer turned on and after typing in the password he'd given her ages ago, she blinked at the tiny button on the desktop with her name on it. Clicking it opened up a document and she carefully read over it twice.

_Bonnie._

_If you're reading this it means I'm dead. It means you're going to need to carry on what I failed to accomplish. The cure is with Silas, Bonnie. It's your only chance to save your friends from their existence._

_But there's more. You can do so much more than simply cure them. You need to bring Silas Back, Bonnie. It's the only way to bring back everyone else._

_Your Grams. Me. My wife and son. They can all return. Every single one of them that was taken before their time. Call Valerie. Her number is below. She'll know  
how to help you complete everything._

_Shane._

She couldn't discount that bringing people back was tempting—her Grams, Jeremy and Matt. Maybe Jenna. Elena's parents. Alaric. Everyone who had been killed in this damn war that wasn't theirs to fight. Wouldn't that be something? But even if she didn't do that she needed the cure. That was what mattered the most to her. The cure would help Elena and Caroline be human again. It could make the other vampires human and she could end Klaus and all the rest like him. He would never be able to hurt any of them ever again.

Bonnie picked up her cell, ignoring the missed calls from Stefan, Damon, even Elena. She dialed the number and waited for someone to answer. "Who is this?" a woman's voice demanded, and Bonnie arched a brow at the wariness it contained.

"Bonnie Bennett. Is this Valerie? Shane said I should contact you," Bonnie told her, hearing the woman's breath catch and she knew the woman had deduced what had become of the professor. Not the exact circumstances, but no doubt she wasn't expecting Bonnie's call unless he was dead.

"I told him he was a fool for trusting the vampires with what he knew," Valerie hissed, and there was a loud sound on her end. "But he found you and that was what mattered."

"I don't see how finding me mattered," Bonnie muttered. It certainly hadn't done Shane any favors.

"You're a Bennett. Already coming from a powerful witch line. Adding in expression to your natural capacity for power only intensifies what you'll be able to do once you're trained properly," Valerie informed her. "And I can do that for you. I practice it as well, though never to the degree you'll be able to handle."

"Is it true?" Bonnie asked, glancing over at the photograph of Shane family. "The cure is with Silas?"

"Yes," Valerie replied. "It is there."

"Then where is he? I'll go now and get the thing," Bonnie told her. Surely the woman knew where the cure was. Shane must have told her. He had to have because they no longer had access to the map with Jeremy dead.

"You could get to the location but not to where he is. You'll need to hone your powers before you can do that and we'll need your friend, the one with the mark," Valerie informed her and just like that Bonnie's stomach flopped.

"He's dead. Jeremy. The one with the Hunter's mark. He's dead," Bonnie replied, and stared hard at the door, willing the emotions just below the surface to stay there. She couldn't afford to cry right now, to lose it over him being dead. Not yet. Not if there was a chance she could get him back.

"No matter," the witch muttered, her voice harsh for a moment before turning gentle. "I am sorry for his death." She snapped something at someone else and Bonnie couldn't quite make out what she was saying. "We'll find another Hunter. There are four more out there. Dozens of potentials waiting to for their destiny to arise."

Bonnie didn't have an answer for that. She'd never heard of Hunters before this year, hadn't read about them in any of the grimoires or her own studies into the supernatural world, so she didn't see how they could be that easy to find. But she had to hope they would be so that she could get the cure and maybe get the others back as well.

"I'm going to give you the address of a friend who's near Whitmore," Valerie continued. "She'll get you here to us and we'll help you reach your potential so that you can complete the needed tasks and get the cure, save the world from all of the injustices of vampires."

"Just let me know where to go," Bonnie murmured, jotting down the address that Valerie rattled off before she hung up.

She stared down at her phone, taking in the photo of Caroline, Elena and her from their sophmore year. Back before Caroline had been a vampire. Back before Elena had met the Salvatores. When things had been normal. She hadn't known of her witch ancestry yet, known of her own abilities, and she wouldn't give those up for anything, but that wasn't the same as what had happened to them. Being a witch was natural, being a vampire wasn't. And they could go back to what they had been, they could be happy again. Have actual lives that didn't revolve around death and destruction.

"I swear I'll save us all," Bonnie promised before pocketing her phone.

Someone was at the door, trying to get in, yelling at someone else that it was locked. Thankfully they couldn't see her through it and she grabbed her things and opened the window, climbing out of it and heading out to find the friend Valerie had spoken of. One step closer to making everything right and getting them their lives back.

* * *

Klaus kept a firm grip on Caroline as he flashed them away from Zelda's establishment. He was trying to decide where precisely to take her and keep her occupied while he set out to do a few of his own errands. While he did own a place in the city, he hadn't been to it in years and wasn't sure of how it had endured the years since he'd bothered with upkeep. A hotel would probably be more agreeable to her twenty-first century tastes and give him leverage over her not running off if he played his cards right.

He stopped outside of Omni Royal hotel, their sudden appearance startling a few of those walking along the street, but just as with most supernatural occurrences the humans around them shook their heads and walked on. No doubt thinking it was a trick of the light or that they hadn't been paying all that much attention. No two people just appeared out of thin air like that. There was always a logical explanation.

"Unless you'd like me to eat the entire lobby full of people, keep your mouth shut and do as I say," Klaus bit out to her, eyes narrowing as he looked down at Caroline.

Her attention had been on the building in front of them, eyes wide as she took in the wrought iron balconies and hanging lanterns on the outside of the building. The awe in her expression had him smiling briefly, seeing the wanderlust in her eyes that was so quickly dashed as she took in what he had said. Klaus hated that he had snuffed it out, her enthusiasm quickly replaced with a scowl, gaze venomous as she looked at him.

"Like I could stop you if you really wanted to hurt anyone," she told him, and while that fury, that drive that Caroline Forbes seemed to always have within her was still as tempting as ever, Klaus wanted the sparkle back. That interest in the world around her.

Seemed he'd get an opportunity to tempt her with all he could offer much sooner than he'd imagined. He let go of her arm and went to open the door instead, motioning for her to step through. He saw her hesitation, could almost hear the thoughts in her head trying to decide if she could flash away in time but a flash of yellow in his eyes had her walking inside. Klaus followed after her, catching her arm as he walked beside her and linked it with his own, keeping her beside him.

He felt her stiffen, no doubt not wanting the invasion to her personal space, but he saw her gaze flicker around the lobby as well. Watched as her mouth made a perfect O as she looked over the statues adorning the walk way, the chandelier that hung above them in greeting, before he pulled her toward the stairs and up to where the concierge was located. Klaus released his hold of her as he stood at in front of the desk, smiling pleasantly at the man. Caroline didn't leave his side, her attention on the details of the lobby. Small glances at the people walking by, either to their own rooms or out to explore the city, and then back at him, knowing he'd make good on his earlier threat.

"Sir, mademoiselle, how might I be of service?" the man asked, his accent native to Louisiana and Klaus leaned forward, pupils dilating as he let his compulsion take hold.

"You'll find that I have a reservation for the penthouse suite. Block it out on the calendar and make note that we do not wish to be disturbed," Klaus told the man, pleased when the man repeated the words and then set about typing onto the computer in front of him.

Caroline scoffed at his side and Klaus arched a brow at her. "Do you use compulsion to get everything that you want?" she asked, fixing him with a look that expressed her disgust.

"Not everything," Klaus replied, purposefully looking her over. He watched her swallow, the faint reddening of her cheeks, before she let out another derogatory noise and looked away from him, arms crossing against her chest. Perhaps he should point out that doing so only gave him ample view of her breasts.

Klaus smirked and looked back at the man, taking the keycards from him. "Would you like me to have someone bring your bags to your room?" the concierge asked, and Klaus shook his head.

"Won't be necessary. Go on with your day as normal," Klaus told him, taking Caroline's arm again and leading her toward the elevator.

"I don't know what you  _think_  is going to happen right now," Caroline started, dragging her feet as they neared the elevator. "But I am  _not_  getting into a bed with you."

"While I do quite enjoy the way your mind was working there, love," Klaus told her as he pushed the button and turned back toward her, leaning in far too close for comfort again. "I have matters to take care of and figured you would like to shower, perhaps get some new clothes to wear and rest after the debacle with Kol."

" _Or_  I could just go home," Caroline suggested, even as she followed him into the elevator.

"You're a smart girl, Caroline. I'm sure by now that you know that's not going to happen," Klaus replied, hitting the button for the penthouse suite.

"Are you going to threaten to kill my mom too if I run?" Caroline asked, leaning back against the cool elevator wall and away from him. Her gaze was fixed on his though, unweilding, though he could see the slight tremor in her body, could smell the fear that he would.

"No," Klaus told her, watching as she let out a breath, looking a little relieved at that fact. "I think what Zelda revealed about Silas being freed and taking down the Other Side will be enough for you to stay. After all, if he successfully does so your mother will be dead and you will never see her again."

She looked away then, not willing to answer him, yet Klaus knew he'd won that particular argument. Caroline Forbes would do anything to save that mother of hers. The elevator stopped, door opening for them and they exited together.

The entrance to the rooftop pool was to the right, the walkway to their suite to the left, but he watched Caroline freeze in the hallway. Her fists were bunched at her sides, gaze fixed on the window that overlooked the pool. He spotted what she was seeing then. A little girl had fallen and scraped her knee, nasty little gash oozing out blood. He looked back at Caroline who had her eyes closed, the veins around them puffing out, bloodlust trying to take over.

"How long has it been since you ate?" Klaus asked, grabbing onto her arm and directing her toward the suit. Part of him wanted to let her go, to watch her make quick work of the people at the pool who were merrily going about their day, clueless to the monsters in their midst. He knew that she would never forgive him if he allowed her to do so, had a feeling her control wouldn't allow it to happen either.

"A day? Two? Not since the morning of the winter carnival," she muttered, still taking deep breaths and he noted that the veins around her eyes were back to normal as he opened the door to the suite.

"Change of plans then." He had intended to have her rest while he took care of some matters, but it looked as though they were going to need to go and feed first and then he'd deposit her back at the hotel and take care of the rest of it.

"What do you mean?" Caroline asked, smoothing down her curls and he had to hand it to her for how quickly she had overcome the urge to feed considering how young she was. He'd seen vampires decades older than her snap quicker.

"We're going to go get a bite to eat," Klaus told her, fishing out his phone to send a text to let Kol know of where they would be staying. He'd leave one of the cards downstairs for his brother to pick up when he was done enjoying the city.

"Thanks, but no thanks. I'll just order myself a steak that's like nearly raw, get some alcohol, some Cheetos. I'm good." Caroline shook her head, walking away from him and into the sitting room of the suite.

"That will hardly sustain you," Klaus pointed out, annoyance starting to form at her lack of caring over her own well-being. "You need to feed."

"I am  _not_  going out there and eating someone. I don't do that. I'm not going to do that. I  _don't_  need your help," Caroline spat out, glaring at him as she turned around. "Your help equals freaking _killing_  people."

"Kol would have killed you," Klaus reminded and from her shudder, he knew she believed that to be true, but still she wouldn't accept what he had done as the correct outcome.

"Jeremy was a  _friend_ ," Caroline cried out, shaking her head at him. "And I know that even now you're thinking of killing Bonnie. You could have come up with a way to do it all  _without_ killing anyone. You just didn't want to. You like it."

Klaus flashed in front of her, eyes narrowing. "I do. I  _love it._  Having their life in my hands, watching it slip away because I deem their life over," Klaus started, smirking at her as he reached out, fondling a curl. She shivered at the contact, swatting his hand away, and he grinned, enjoying her hiss. He caught her wrist, first one and then the other when she swung them at him, trapping them against his chest with one hand. She may have vampire strength at her disposal, but his thousand years and Hybrid nature made her no match for him in that department.

With his free hand he stroked the curve of her neck. "Having that  _control_  at my fingertips, them at  _my_ mercy. It's a high you almost never come down from. That very few others can beat. Don't tell me you've never felt it, Caroline."

There was no fear coming off from her then, only anger and a hint of arousal at what he had said. She may have impeccable control, but there was no way she hadn't killed before and from the way she licked her lips, he knew his assessment was correct.

Caroline whipped her head back, trying to get his fingers off of her. "Like I said. I'm not eating with you," she told him and he released his hold on her, letting her step back.

"You'll only make the cravings worse until you do. Wouldn't want to lose that precious control and snack on the next child with a skinned knee," Klaus arched a brow at her, seeing the internal war inside of her over what to do.

"It's a delightful feeling, blood directly from the vein. Nothing quite as satisfying as it. Your bags only go so far and make you nowhere near as powerful as you could be if you opted for the fresher diet, the one you're supposed to be enjoying," he continued, urging her to give in, to come out and live a little. While her control was admirable, she was also forgoing part of her nature and at some point that would catch up with her if she didn't learn to allow the monster inside out once and a while. "And New Orleans is a town ripe for the picking."

She didn't look at him for a long moment and Klaus grinned as she took a long breath, hopes rising that she would join him and he could share a little of the world with her. But her gaze was hard as she looked at him, a picture perfect example of her inner strength in the way she stood, openly defying him. "I'd rather die than feed with you."

"Just like you'd rather have died of thirst than drink with me?" he asked, smirking at her. "And look how often we've done that now, Caroline. After all, champagne is one of our things."

"We don't have a thing," she groused, none of the playfulness of the other day in her voice, and he could see her nails biting in her palm as she tried to reel in her emotions.

Klaus simply grinned and turned around, heading for the door. "Feel free to order what you need, but do not leave the hotel." He glanced back at her. "I can find you anywhere, Caroline. Try not to forget that."

"Just like you could find Katherine?" Caroline snapped back and he could hear the slight victory in her tone, thinking she'd brought up something to counter his own beliefs.

"I always knew roundabouts where she was, sweetheart. It became a game to see how much I could make her suffer as she ran, how long she thought she could go without hearing wind of me being near. Watching her safety net be destroyed over and over again. As for you," Klaus told her, gaze traveling up and down her curves. "I'd know where you were for far more  _pleasurable_ reasons."

He was gone before she could come up with a witty response.

* * *

Leaving Elena alone with Damon wasn't really what he'd wanted to do. Not after how his brother had handled Elena's breakdown. He'd seen her afterward once she'd finished resting and Elena had looked as though she was at war with herself, unsure how to react to anything. It tore him apart inside to see her like that but when he'd approached her she had reared back as though she'd been stung. Stefan knew then that she hadn't forgiven him for keeping her in the dark about the cure, for all that had happened, and had a feeling from the anger in her gaze that she blamed him for Jeremy and Matt's death. It didn't make any sense for that to be the way it was, but Stefan had learned long ago that the thought processes while grieving usually didn't.

But the bodies needed to be dealt with. Taking them from the scene probably hadn't done any of them any favors and they were only going to decompose laying in the back of Matt's truck with a tarp thrown over them. Matt and Jeremy deserved better than simply being buried in the woods, bodies eventually dug up and torn apart by the wildlife.

He stared at the truck trying to figure out the next step when he heard a car pulling up the driveway. Turning, he spotted Liz' police cruiser and pushed himself away from the truck, heading over to her.

"I heard from Caroline," Liz informed him as she got out of the car, the relief evident in her voice and he felt a great weight lift off his shoulders as well. "Klaus and Kol have her but she's okay. For now." The worry was back and no doubt the Sheriff was wondering how her daughter could be okay in the hands of the Hybrid who had not only killed his own hybrids, but the Mayor, and was looking pretty good for a few more murders all in less than twenty-four hours.

"I don't think he'll hurt her," Stefan told her, trying to sound like he meant those words. He didn't think Klaus would  _kill_  Caroline, but hurt…he really didn't know any more. "But why does he have her?"

That's what didn't make any sense. Why kill Shane? While he wasn't one hundred percent certain that was what happened, it made more sense than some random stranger having killed the Professor. He just couldn't figure out the reasoning behind it. Klaus needed Shane and Jeremy alive for the damn cure. What the hell could have happened for the Original to destroy his means of getting it?

"Kol kidnapped her on the way to the house. She was his leverage against Klaus to get some things done," Liz glanced at the truck, shaking her head. She had the same suspicions that Jeremy and Matt had been part of those 'things'. "I don't understand why she would make good leverage and she wasn't very forthcoming about that either. So I suggest you start talking, Stefan. What the hell has my daughter gotten herself involved in?"

Stefan sighed. How was he supposed to explain to Liz that they'd used Klaus' emotions against him? That they had gotten Caroline to step into the role to distract the Hybrid over and over again? That by doing so it'd only seemed to increase his obsession with the blonde vampire.

"He wants her," Stefan replied after a long moment, not surprised at the widening of Liz' eyes, the shaking of her head. "I'm not sure if the fact he hasn't resorted to compulsion to get what he wants is a good thing or not in this case. If he'd used compulsion he'd have got what he wanted already and it'd be over." Though Caroline would probably also be dead and how horrible were all of them for willingly putting her in a situation where she could have died multiple times by now? "But he hasn't. He seems to want her to be willing. He's not opposed to using threats though."

Liz looked horrified and he couldn't blame her for any of that. "Why? Why does he want Caroline?" Hadn't she been doing so good? Keeping her grades up? Applying to colleges and going on with her life as if nothing had truly changed? How was she supposed to live anything close to a normal life if Klaus wasn't going to willingly leave it? "What got him so fixated on her?"

"I don't know," Stefan answered, and that was the truth. There were plenty of great aspects to her daughter, but he had no idea what it was exactly that had pulled Klaus in.

Liz's hands were shaking as she grabbed onto the back of the truck, but he couldn't be sure if it was because of fear or anger. Probably a bit of both. "I should have listened to her father," Liz muttered, pressing her forehead against the cool metal. "Let him take her when he left town, but I knew with his life, with his travels he couldn't give her something stable." She pushed away from the truck, the shaking ceasing and Stefan wondered if that emotional control was a trait she shared with her daughter. "At least she would have been away from all of this."

She looked back at the truck, focusing on the tarp covering two dead boys she had known all her life. "Let's deal with this and then we can figure out how we're getting my daughter out of their clutches."

Before Stefan could respond he felt someone come up on them using vampire speed. He went to turn, to protect the Sheriff, but his neck was snapped and he was falling to the ground before he could move a muscle. "Sorry, Sheriff, but Stefan and I need to have a chat, so you'll have to deal with whatever mess this is all by yourself," Rebekah informed her, before picking up the Salvatore and flashing away.

Liz stared at the spot they had been a second ago and then headed to the house. "Get your ass out here, Damon," she shouted as she opened the door and then turned around, knowing the older Salvatore would follow.

She'd deal with the two dead boys and then figure out how in the world to help her daughter.

* * *

It had been easy enough for Kol to find the tiny little herb shop in New Orleans that belonged to the witch. He also knew that enough time had passed that Zelda might have tipped her off to his coming. He liked the element of surprise and knew it probably wouldn't be one he could use. Pity. He'd have to get rough with the witch from the start.

He waited across the street, up on the rooftop of one of the buildings and watched the shadows in the store, listened to the conversations, for the heartbeats. There were two women inside and one man. The shop belonged to Nandi and theoretically she should be the last one to leave, but he had learned some time ago that people would leave others to the wolves if it mean their own survival.

Kol focused on the heartbeats instead, noting which one seemed to be beating the fastest, smiling when it's rate increased as the woman left the shop. The other two still inside had slightly elevated rates but nothing like this one. She was trying to get away, fearful for her life. The others were most likely worried about her, not themselves.

Kol waited until she was past the shop and veering down a street, easily jumping between rooftops before dropping down onto the street in front of the woman. "I must say, did no one ever tell you that the whole running thing only serves to give us a rush?" he asked, thoroughly amused by the fear mixed with power that rose from the woman. "Nandi, I presume? I'm simply here to talk."

He raised his hands, palms outward, trying to look nonthreatening. "Zelda's an old friend, said you might know a few things."

"Then why did she warn me of you coming?" Nandi spit, watching him warily and looking ready to bolt.

"I can't really come up with a good answer for that one," Kol admitted and rushed her, pushing her back against the nearest wall. Her head hit the brick, not enough to kill her, but enough to ruin her focus. The only one who would have a nasty headache that night would be her.

"What do you want?" she asked, hand pressed to her head as she let out a small moan.

"I want to know all about your mother," Kol replied, smiling pleasantly at her.

"Because of expression," Nandi closed her eyes, and Kol found the level of disgust in her voice for that kind of magic to be rather amusing. "She tapped into it back in the late forties. Has been repeatedly taping into since then with the rest of her Coven."

"Why?" Kol didn't like the fact that the woman had a Coven. That level of power linked with twelve others could be devastating.

"I thought at first that she was simply mad with power," Nandi sighed, still not opening her eyes. "And she was but what she got from twelve kills wasn't enough. She wanted more. She wants it all."

"Who were her twelve? Were they human?" Perhaps that would shed some more light on the situation.

"No idea who, but yes, they were human. I was young when it happened. But the vampire who did it for her was here a week or so ago. Damon Salvatore. He wanted to break a sire bond," Nandi informed him, and Kol shook his head. Of course it was that one. Seemed he'd need to be paying a visit to the Salvatore house at some point.

"And where might I find her?" Kol asked.

"No idea. I haven't seen her in nearly twenty years. All I know is she's alive," Nandi told him, finally opening her eyes again. She still looked disoriented.

"How do you know that?" Kol inquired, watching for any signs of lying.

"She tied my life to hers. I don't die until she does," Nandi replied, before shutting her mouth tight, realizing what she'd just told him.

"I wonder, does it work in reverse?" Kol mused, snapping her neck before she could speak. "I suppose only time will tell." If it did then that was one less witch using expression roaming around and if didn't then oh well. At least he had stopped the witch from tapping into her daughter's powers.

Mission accomplished as far as Kol was concerned.

* * *

After leaving Caroline, Klaus had ventured off into the city. It hadn't taken him long to check in with a few acquaintances, making sure agreements of the past were still fully in place before he sought out a bite to eat. There were establishments that quietly catered to his kind, run by either witches or other vampires who had put down roots in the city. In the hustle and bustle that was New Orleans the fact that someone didn't age like everyone else wasn't as noticeable. Not with the superstitions that ran rampant, that the city thrived on and helped make it flourish. The locals who noticed either benefited in some way from the witch or vampire's existence or they simply didn't speak of it, not wanting to antagonize the spirits that had a hold on the city.

He hadn't wanted a nicely catered meal though. After his discussion with Caroline Klaus had been on high alert, the tension running ripe through his body and he needed to release it before heading back to the hotel. He also knew he couldn't stay away for too long, not wanting Kol to have any more time alone with the girl.

He spotted a group of college students heading back from a bar and one of them waved goodbye to his friends, venturing off in a different direction. He was heading away from the hustle and bustle of the busier streets and Klaus grinned at his stroke of luck, steering towards the young man.

He had always been one for the thrill of the chase, even back when he was human. Of course, back then he had been stalking animals and doing everything after the kill to appease the gods for their bounty. It had been about survival back then and while he did need blood to survive even now, there was no reason to stalk his current prey, to flash in and out behind the young man, thrilled at the rise in his fear level.

Klaus waited until the man's heart rate seemed to drop back to nearly normal, saw that gleam of hope in his eyes as he neared the door to the building, could almost see the young man berating himself for an overactive imagination. Hand just ghosting the doorknob, nearly free, and Klaus pounced, grabbing the young man before he could make the threshold and smiled in greeting. The man's eyes widened in terror, all hope gone as he stared up at Klaus' full on hybrid face.

The man was dead in a matter of minutes, blood drained and Klaus dropped him to the ground, wiping his mouth clean as he headed away and back towards the hotel. He passed by a clinic and stopped, pondering how much favor he might win from Caroline if he was able to procure her a few blood bags for their travel. Keeping her on edge, especially if the girl refused to feed, had its benefits as well, but he had killed two of her friends, had it in his mind to kill another, and it couldn't hurt to try and cater a little to her needs.

The clinic was open and the woman behind the front counter rose as soon as she saw him. "Are you okay, sir?" she asked, staring at his shirt.

Klaus glanced down, noting that he'd been a little messy with his earlier snack. "You won't remember this meeting," Klaus easily compelled, smiling at the woman and making note of the security camera behind him. He'd need to make sure she erased his time in the clinic. "Be a dear and go get me a few blood bags from the back. Preferably B+." If he remembered that was Caroline's favorite.

A few minutes later and he was on his way back to the hotel with four blood bags tucked into a container meant to help keep them chilled. He entered the hotel to find that Kol hadn't yet returned and heard the shower running in one of the suites bathrooms. There was a cart with empty plates and from the smell he knew Caroline had ordered herself a rare steak and eaten the entire thing. From the other discarded plates and bowls, it looked as though fries and ice cream had been added to the order. Klaus placed the blood in the fridge located in the kitchen and slipped out of the suite again, heading down to the shops at the lower level.

Not even a half hour later he was back with a few sets of clothes for his brother, himself and Caroline from one of the boutiques. The shower was off and he heard Caroline moving about in one of the rooms. "I have something you might want," Klaus informed her from the other side of the door.

He smiled at her snort. "Doubt it," she replied.

Klaus looked down at the doorknob and then back at the door. "A lock will hardly keep me out if I want to come inside, Caroline," he reminded her and heard her annoyed grunt before she opened the door.

"What do you want? I personally want to go to bed so this better be good," she snapped, tightening the hotel robe around her body.

He held out the bag that clothes in it for her. She looked suspiciously at the bag. "What could I possibly be giving you in a bag that might hurt you, Caroline?" Klaus asked, unsure whether he was amused or annoyed.

"I'm sure you could think of something," Caroline murmured but took the bag, hesitantly looking into it. She relaxed a little at seeing the clothes before looking back up at him. "Thank you. Even if it is kind of weird that you know like all of my measurements."

"I make it a point to know all I can about what I find captivating," Klaus informed her, arching a brow at the little inhale of breath, the way she held the bag closer to her chest, trying to keep herself contained from him. "There are also a few blood bags in the fridge. You might want to have two tonight and the others in the morning to get your strength back up."

Her expression was conflicted, the uncertainty of whether she should be appreciative or annoyed warring in her face. "Thank you," she told him, the softness of her voice reminding him of that night in the Mystic Falls high school hallways and how she had said it back then. It had amazed Klaus how two words could strike him so hard with their genuineness.

"Did I miss the makeup sex?" Kol asked, causing Klaus to press his lips together in annoyance and Caroline to slam the door to her room shut in Klaus' face. "Must not have been that great. I'm a little disappointed, Nik."

Klaus turned around; his anger over having the moment interrupted only exacerbated by Kol's wagging of his eyebrows. "I looked up to you in that regard at one point," Kol continued, sighing dramatically. "How the mighty fall."

The vase flew at his head, shattering on the wall behind Kol who had easily sidestepped it. "That was a two hundred year old vase. Where is your art appreciation now?" Kol tsked, clearly enjoying the opportunity to rile him up.

"It's about to be jammed down your throat," Klaus replied, his voice much too quiet and Kol knew he shouldn't keep pushing from the malicious gleam in his brother's eyes, but he was never one to stop when he was supposed to.

"I'd think you'd rather be jamming something down hers," Kol told him, flashing to the other side of the room before Klaus could grab onto him. "You really should find an outlet for all that tension. It must be driving you two crazy."

Kol's phone began to ring and he fished it out of his pocket, still quietly laughing at his brother's rage. "Hello, sister," he greeted, pleased at finally seeing her name on the tiny screen. "Fancy telling me where you've been?"

Klaus frowned, knowing whatever Rebekah said would not be in his favor. "He's actually right here, Rebekah dear," Kol continued, all the mirth in his voice gone. "We're currently in New Orleans. Omni Royal. I'm sure we have enough room for you to tag along."

Kol hung up, gaze locked on Klaus who stared back at him. Klaus hated the accusatory look, the disappointment he saw in his brother's expression. "I did what had to be done," Klaus told him.

Kol simply shook his head. "Don't you always," he replied before heading off to one of the rooms, slamming the door shut behind him.

Klaus threw the bag of clothes he'd gotten for his brother, tossed a chair and then a lamp as well, needing to let out some of the anger that was threatening to take over again. Rebekah had to be neutralized. If he hadn't done so they wouldn't have gotten the sword, she would have interfered just as she always did. Something would have gone wrong. Her mind had been too twisted with anger against him that he didn't trust her to destroy the cure just as she had Elena's blood. He would have woken her once his plans had succeeded.

Klaus sank down onto the couch in the sitting room and stared out the window. He heard Caroline's door open, the soft patter of her feet across the floor as she got the bags from the fridge. "Thanks," she whispered, before heading back to her room, locking the door behind her.

Frowning he closed his eyes, other senses still alert to the world around him, and started to think of a few plans for what would happen next, how to manipulate the pieces he knew were in play, and alternatives for when any surprised were thrust upon him. He had no intention of losing out on anything else, not after he'd been forced to destroy his makeshift family. Silas was not allowed to rise and he would do whatever was needed to make sure that didn't happen.

 


	5. Chapter 5

_Your nightmares follow you like a shadow, forever. ― Aleksandar Hemon_

* * *

She had been told since a young age that getting into a stranger's car was a bad idea. Maybe she could feel the kinship of magic between her and the other woman, but Bonnie couldn't shake the unease that ran through her as they drove in silence. She had asked a few questions at the beginning, wanting to know more about how the woman knew Shane and the new witch she was going to meet. Every question had been answered with short, vague responses and she felt restless, only more questions rising from all of the answers, and she didn't like how uncertain everything was currently.

The only thing that kept running through her head was that Jeremy and Matt were dead, technically so were Elena and Caroline, but at least there's wasn't permanent, and if she had her way they'd be back to normal in a few days. And maybe there was some truth to the rest of the nonsense in Shane's parting letter. Maybe she could bring Jeremy and Matt back as well. She'd done it before with Jeremy, but Bonnie wasn't sure that was possible any longer with how cut off she was from the spirits.

"We're here," the woman told her, stopping at the curb to a house. She made no move to park, kept the engine running and motioned for Bonnie to get out. "I need to get back and get my kids to school."

"Thanks for the ride," Bonnie told her, and started to get out of the car.

"We've been waiting for you for a while," the woman told her as Bonnie shut the door, driving away before she had a chance to respond.

Bonnie turned, stopping when she saw another woman standing before her. There was something different about this one, a stronger bond to magic that she hadn't experienced since being around her grandmother. Her hairstyle reminded Bonnie of a film they had watched in school once set in the early fifties, a short, soft wave of brown that coupled with the dress the woman was wearing had Bonnie wondering if the woman had been alive in the fifties. Even if she didn't look old enough to have been.

"Hello, Bonnie Bennett," the woman greeted, nodding politely at her and motioning toward the home in the background. "I'm Valerie LaMarche and welcome to my home." She started walking back toward it and Bonnie had no choice but to follow. "I wish we were meeting under far better circumstances but Shane had reasons for wanting to do things his way. Unfortunately I always knew they would get him killed."

"How did you know?" Bonnie asked, following the woman into the house and then further into the kitchen. There were others around, one making coffee, while the other two disappeared out of the back door before Bonnie could get a good look at them. She might not have vampire senses, but she could hear the sound of people upstairs as well.

"He never should have had Connor go to Mystic Falls to gain his mark. Not with the rumor that the Originals were in town," Valerie told her, beckoning for her to take a seat at the table beside her. "Do you want cream or sugar for your coffee?"

"Just milk," Bonnie replied absently. "They were there. Still are." Maybe. She wasn't entirely certain if Klaus had stuck around or not. What had Stefan said again?

"Far easier ways to have the mark appear than trifling with those creatures," Valerie told her, gaze darkening for a moment before she smiled again. There was something about it that Bonnie didn't quite like, but she couldn't put her finger on it.

"For the mark to appear he needed to kill vampires though," Bonnie murmured as a cup of coffee was placed down by her along with the milk carton. "Thank you."

The man who'd done so simply nodded and left the room as well. "And he could have done that anywhere," Valerie replied, before sipping her own coffee. "He did manage two out of the three sacrifices though. And he found you so it's not all lost."

"Sacrifices?" Bonnie placed down her mug, shaking her head. That definitely didn't make sense. She couldn't contemplate Shane being part in any kind of sacrifice. There hadn't been any of those since Klaus' curse breaking any way.

"What all did he tell you?" Valerie asked, and Bonnie sighed, not surprised she wasn't getting a clear explanation.

"After you tell me about the sacrifices," she told the woman, refusing to be played by someone else. Hadn't that happened enough already? Her anger got away from her, the candles in the dining room off to the right igniting in response to her emotions. She could feel the dark pull again, wanting to overpower her, to take over, but she kept it in check, refusing to give herself over to it.

"To wake Silas," Valerie told her, waving a hand to extinguish the flames. "You will have the power to do so. You simply need to learn how to harness it."

"Why would I want to do that? I just want the cure for my friends. That's it," Bonnie told her, side-eying the others who had walked back into the house.

"You can have it," Valerie replied, picking up her mug again. "But if you bring Silas back as well then you can bring back every single person in your life that has died because of  _them_." Bonnie frowned, knowing who the woman was referring to but wondering how exactly she knew so much. "Shane said your grandmother died because of the supernatural. Your friends are vampires—turned against their will? Or to save them from such an early, unfair death? How many others that you've known who've been sacrificed for the supernaturals gain? Such as your mother?"

"Bringing people back has consequences," Bonnie murmured, remembering what had happened after she'd brought back Jeremy, after messing with Klaus and Tyler.

"If you use spirits or nature to garner your strength," Valerie replied, that smile back again, but this time there wasn't any mirth to it. "But not if you use expression as Shane had been teaching you. It doesn't pull from either. It pulls from you and from others."

"It kills them." Like she'd done to the poor workers while trying to revive Shane. She had been so lost in her own mind that she hadn't thought through the consequences of her actions. Those men had families that would miss them and she'd been the one to kill them.

"What does that matter when they'll only return on Silas' wake? A noble sacrifice to get you to the level you need to be at," Valerie continued, waving a hand at her worries. Bonnie opened her mouth to protest that. What exactly was the guarantee that anything this woman was telling her would even come to pass. As far as she knew those men were dead. Shane was dead. Jeremy. Matt. "Or would you rather let it all go? Return to being useless to your friends who are barely managing? Do the Originals know about the cure? Do you think they'll walk away from it if they do?"

Bonnie glared at the table. She couldn't fathom Klaus walking away from the cure. Not when it could give him back Elena as a human. And then where would they be? He would go right back to using her as his own personal blood bag. Though Bonnie couldn't understand why he had killed Shane…it had to have been him. He was the only other person who she could think would do so. He was the only one who had any reason to go after him. Had he killed Jeremy and Matt too? She really couldn't put it past him even if she didn't understand why he would do that. Unless he'd tortured the location of the cure out of Shane and didn't need Jeremy and his mark any longer.

"Klaus killed Shane. I think he killed Jeremy too—he was the new Hunter," Bonnie started, trying to make sense of it all. Maybe the others had an idea of why he would do such a thing. "But if a Hunter is needed then…" It didn't add up.

"The Hybrid," Valerie murmured, leaning back in her chair and watching Bonnie carefully. "He would be the one who would be involved in this. At least the others aside from Elijah are daggered."

Bonnie looked up at that. "They're all undaggered. Except Rebekah." Though she had no idea where the other girl's body was residing currently. "And Finn's dead. But Elijah and Kol are out there as well."

"Kol." Valerie's tone grew cold and Bonnie watched as the woman's features hardened, eyes narrowing as she said the name. And then just like that the polite smile was back. "No matter. We'll work ourselves around them."

Bonnie's phone rang and she pulled it out, frowning when she saw the Mrs. Forbes name on the call screen. Sheriff Forbes?" she answered, remembering that Caroline was missing. God she hoped this wasn't news that another of her friends was dead.

"I've been trying to reach you for hours now," she heard the older woman let out a relieved breath, concern evident in her voice. "Two of your friends are dead, Stefan was taken by Rebekah, and Caroline has been kidnapped by her brothers. The last thing I need is for you to go AWOL, Bonnie Bennett."

"Caroline's been kidnapped?" Bonnie asked, rising from the chair as she tried to digest that news. "Why the hell did they take her? I  _knew_  using her to distract him all those times would come back to bite us." She would find that damn white oak stake, somehow unlink Klaus from all of his descendants and then shove it into his chest if Caroline was hurt. Stefan being taken by Rebekah was also an issue but she figured he could handle the Original.

"She's okay. I'm still trying to accept the fact that she's being used as leverage against one of the biggest threats we've ever seen, but she's safe. I need to know that you are now too," Liz continued, and nodded for a moment before realizing that the Sheriff wouldn't be able to see that.

"I'm okay. I'm with…friends." Bonnie looked over at Valerie, watching the woman nod at that.

"You remember what I had to say to pick you up from elementary school? You use that if you're not," Liz replied, and Bonnie couldn't help but smile at that.

"I'm really with friends," she promised. "I'll get Caroline back, Sheriff Forbes. Don't worry." Bonnie hung up before the older woman could answer and shut off her phone.

Bonnie knew how volatile Klaus was and the fact he'd killed all of his Hybrids, Shane, and possibly Jeremy and Matt only a day ago, had her worried about her best friend's life. She'd never forgive herself if Klaus killed Caroline too. Not if she could somehow stop it with this new magic that she needed to get a better handle on. This wasn't how their lives were supposed to be. She refused to let them become victims once again.

"What do you need me to do?" Bonnie asked, refusing to lose any more people in her life.

"Who has your friend?" Valerie asked. "Perhaps we can help locate her."

"Klaus does," Bonnie bit out, glasses in the pantry shaking as her anger spiked again. "She should be easy to find. I made her daylight ring. I should be able to locate her using that."

"Did he take her to use against you?" Valerie motioned at the others who started moving again, leaving the room though Bonnie didn't understand why.

"No, she's being used against him. He has a ridiculous obsession with her." And it was going to get Caroline killed. Bonnie just knew it would. Look at what he did to his own family? Who knew what he would do to Caroline if he became enraged enough with her.

The only thing she didn't understand was why anyone would need to use Caroline against Klaus right now. Or why that would even work. She felt like she was missing a huge piece of the puzzle. "Her mom said she was being used as leverage and that Rebekah's brothers have her," she murmured out loud, trying to make sense of it all. "But I don't get why Kol or Elijah would want to use her against Klaus. Or maybe they all got her back from whoever was using her as leverage."

"How curious." Bonnie was so lost in her thoughts that she didn't notice Valerie's intrigued look at that little revelation, the sinister smile that spread across her face for a moment before the politeness was fixed back into place on her features.

"Try not to worry," Valerie continued, reaching over to rest a hand on top of Bonnie's. "We'll locate her and do what we can to help her. Meanwhile you need to work on upping your stamina with spells. That's what Shane was working on with you, preparing you for the amount of magic you'll be taking in as you perform expression. We'll continue doing that at a faster pace so that you and your friends will get the cure and we'll get Silas."

Bonnie nodded. And once she was powerful enough nothing was going to stop her from getting Klaus into a box again and putting him into the damn ocean. The rest of his family could go with him if they tried to get in her way.

"Isaac and Lilian will start you on your training," Valerie told her, motioning to the two people who had reentered the room. "Do you have anything on you that might link us to Caroline?"

Bonnie rose, trying to think if she had anything that could help with that. She pulled out the keys to her house from her pocket. "She made the key ring." The small friendship bracelet Caroline had made for her and Elena back in middle school that had somehow survived since then. Bonnie slid it over to the woman and then followed the other two out of the room, ready to work.

Valerie picked up the keychain, frowning as another of the witches entered the room and waited until the door was closed, Bonnie safely out of range for hearing their conversation. "Kol Mikaelson is awake," she started, nearly spitting out the Original's name. Anyone who wanted to raise Silas knew what that vampire had done to the previous cult, knew to be wary of him and his penchant for destroying what they needed to do. "I have reason to suspect he got the Hybrid to do his bidding to kill Shane and the newly found Hunter." It was a step back in their plans but one that could easily be fixed with a little effort on their part.

There was quite a bit of lore on the Original family and while she didn't know which parts were true and which were fiction, the one constant was always that you didn't want to cross paths with them. Especially Klaus. The only thing he seemed to have an interest in had been the sun and moon curse and his own siblings who were just as unkillable. Though it seemed he had a new obsession and Valerie couldn't help but wonder if that would be useful to keeping him from disrupting what they needed to get done or at least distracting him long enough for them to do as needed.

She turned the keychain over in her hand. "I think we might have the perfect leverage to get him to stop working with Kol." It couldn't hurt to try. She'd simply need to keep Bonnie Bennett from figuring out what she would be doing to her little friend. A vampire. They were a dime a dozen and if Klaus played nicely the girl wouldn't suffer too much.

* * *

Usually her nightmares were the same old things. Memories replaying her father torturing her, Alaric doing the same, the wolves, sometimes the hybrids. Some nights she'd be revisited by what Damon had done back when she'd been his little disposable pet. Constant replaying of some of her greater trials in life so far on an endless loop that she couldn't seem to push her way out of until she woke in the middle of her bed, clutching her covers and reminding herself that she  _had_  survived those moments. That they hadn't broken her, not completely, and the little dents they had tried to imprint in her mind and soul were already pounded back out, barely noticeable unless someone was trained to find them.

Sometimes it would be her fears. Watching her friends die around her, unable to save them. Her mother dying at her hand. A thousand little worries that she battled to keep down and out of her mind, that she swore weren't allowed to come true. She'd always wake up and listen for her mom's heartbeat when a dream was a little too real, search out for a reminder that the woman was safe and sound for another night. If Liz wasn't home then Caroline would head to the station, never quite venturing inside, just sitting in her car and searching out for her mother's voice. The sound of it was always enough to soothe away the dark thoughts that would try and haunt her sleep.

This was different though.

Caroline didn't  _see_  anything; there were no memories at play, no images at all. She was in complete darkness, not a light to be seen and she couldn't even make out herself. It was unsettling being unable to use her enhanced vision in her dreams. But it was what she felt that was the most troubling. A deep, inexplicable sense of nothingness, as if all the good, all the happiness that she had ever experienced was being sucked away, forced from her and leaving her with nothing to hold onto.

She felt like she was being stripped bare, a worse violation than what Damon had done, and she hated it. Tried to fight it, to hold back whatever was tugging at her head, seeming to branch into her dreams somehow and trying to manipulate her. There was no pain, there was nothing, and that made it worse. She'd rather have experienced something than nothing at all. It frightened her more than anything else had and she didn't understand it, couldn't fight it. She felt more vulnerable in that moment than she'd ever felt at any other point in her life.

She pushed back against the feeling, tried to grapple onto anything that she could remember that made her happy. Her mother's voice, certain cheers, the feel of a horse's mane beneath her fingers. Laughter echoed through the air around her but it shattered, distorting into something awful.

She wanted out, wanted to wake up and tried her usual tricks to get out of a nightmare, but none worked. She wasn't in control of whatever was happening and she knew it. The vulnerability of that frightened her, was no doubt expected to terrorize her, but she tried to manipulate her fear to her advantage. She wasn't about to be a victim again, especially not in her own mind.

"Let him know if they keep this up I will strip you of your mind," a voice called out in her head, ugly and foreign.

What? What the hell was the voice even going on about? She couldn't pin point its gender, couldn't get a gage at all on it aside from the menacing factor to it.

"You will be nothing but a pretty doll to cart around," it continued, and she shivered at that idea. "Though perhaps that's what he's after anyway. A beautiful doll to add to his collection of beautiful things."

She wanted to tell the voice to shut up, but no matter how hard she tried to talk no sound would come out. "End this quest or suffer the consequences," the voice continued and turned in the darkness, trying to pinpoint it, wanting to destroy it.

"I think you need a taste of what that will be like."

Caroline blinked and she was lying in the hotel bed but she couldn't move, no matter the amount of effort she put into trying to do so. Klaus was there, hovering over her, touching her face and he looked severely agitated. He was saying something but she couldn't understand him and once he saw that her eyes were open his worried expression turned infinitely more disturbed.

And then there was nothing again, just the overwhelming darkness that was trying to pull her down. "Get them to stop, child, or you will endure that fate."

Was this what drowning felt like? Trying to breathe and being constantly pushed down by the water, trying to push back up, flailing for life, but unable to reach it?

"Caroline."

Her head snapped toward the voice, trying to place where she'd heard it before, trying to figure out exactly where it was coming from. She couldn't find it though. Only black. Darker than she had ever experienced and she struggled against the overwhelming weight that seemed to be crushing her, tugging her downward.

"Caroline."

The voice was nearer but she still couldn't see it, couldn't latch onto it for the help she felt like it was trying to provide. Her struggling increased, causing the darkness to seemingly surround her, pulling her further away, pressing her downward.

And then suddenly it was over and she was sitting up in the bed, voicelessly screaming and Klaus was sitting beside her, one of his hands on her arm, anchoring her in place. She frantically looked around, shivering at the coldness that still seeped into her very bones. She felt colder than she ever had in her life and that shouldn't have been possible. Vampires could feel the different temperatures but it shouldn't have affected her like it was.

Klaus was speaking to her, saying words that she vaguely heard. It was his tone that was helping the most, calm and gentle, reminding her of when they had been in the high school hallway together. It had been meant to soothe her then, to reassure, just like it was now. She couldn't help but be grateful for that. Part of her still didn't want to be anywhere near him, not after what he had done, not after his dark promises about what would happen to Tyler, what had already happened to Jeremy, what he saw as her apparent future.

But she didn't want to be alone and she knew the words of whoever had been inside of her head had been for her to tell him and Kol. She just needed to get control of her body and emotions so she could tell him. Maybe he would know how whoever it was could get into her head like that and control her in that way.

Or maybe it had been him. Maybe Klaus had been screwing with her? She didn't think that was the case because she was so sure she'd opened her eyes and couldn't move, seeing him there, trying to talk to her. But maybe that had all been part of the manipulation?

"Did you do that?" she asked, glancing at him. Except his worried expression that shifted to annoyance at her question pretty much answered that.

Caroline looked away, running her hands through her hair as she tried to get her body to calm down. "I don't know what that was." All she knew was that she didn't like it. Didn't ever want to experience it again.

"I couldn't get in your head," Klaus murmured, and she looked at him again. "I tried when I smelled your rising fear, when I came in and saw you thrashing about on the bed, clearly in trouble. But something was blocking me from doing so."

Caroline knew they were able to manipulate dreams. It must have been an easy task usually for one as old as him. She'd never tried it, never had a reason to, but she'd known Katherine had done it to Stefan before. "You were calling my name?" she asked, realizing that it was his voice she had heard while the darkness had tried to consume her.

"Then it seems I was closer to your mind than I had previously thought." Klaus nodded, closely watching her but she couldn't get a good read on his expression. "You're shaking. You need to feed."

She shook her head, wiping hair from her face. "I'm okay." There were only like two bags left and she didn't want to run out of them. Who knew what he'd done to get her them. God, she hoped no one had died.

"Aside from not having a werewolf bite festering on your shoulder, love, you look about as pale and worn out as you did that night," Klaus assessed, pushing up off of the bed. "I'd be happy to offer up some of my own since we both know you won't let me take you to get something more fresh. Or you can have one of the bags in the fridge."

The bastard even rolled up the sleeve of his shirt, offering up his wrist.

It was so hard to decline that offer, but she forced back her internal reaction, felt her fangs poking out of her gums, desperately wanting release. She knew he had to have seen something he liked in the way she reacted though because he smiled. Though not a taunting one that she'd seen quite often. More one that was proud of some unknown accomplishment. It kind of reminded her of when she'd shared drinks with him at the bar, being the little distraction all over again.

There would be no more of that, ever again. Hadn't exactly worked out in any of their favors. Or at least that's how it seemed to her. Even if she had kept on walking away with her life.

"I'll have a bag," Caroline muttered and pushed herself up as well, moving around him to get to the main area of the suite.

"What happened, Caroline?" Klaus asked, following after her and she stiffened at the question for a moment, before taking out a bag and sitting down on one of the seats.

"There was just darkness. Like it was trying to take me over." She tore into the bag, taking deep, long sips of the blood and letting it soothe her frazzled state. "It was awful."

"Take you over? How so?" His voice was urgent, demanding an answer and Caroline struggled for the words to describe it, to explain what had happened.

"I don't know," she murmured, trying to push away the reminders of how horrible she'd felt.

"It's important that you describe it," Klaus told her, and she didn't like how insistent he sounded, didn't like how it sounded like an order to her.

"I don't know," she snapped at him, glaring over at him, hating how grouchy she sounded. "I can't make the words form, okay? Like I'm trying and nothing is coming out. It just sucked. It was like all the happiness was gone and the darkness was trying to swallow me whole. Okay?  _Happy?_ "

"Oh yes, I'm ecstatic that you've had someone in your mind. Someone powerful enough to keep me out of it for a time. Someone trying to twist it in a fashion that you can't adequately describe," Klaus bit out, glaring right back at her. It wasn't murderous, more annoyed than anything, and she couldn't really blame him for it when he put it like that, but she didn't care for his attitude.

Wasn't  _she_  the one who'd just gone through a traumatic experience?  _Hello_! He did not get to be the annoyed one at the moment. "I'm just jumping for joy over it," she countered, and finished off the blood bag.

"You two bloody well need to just to do that darling little dance beneath the sheets and shut up so I can get some goddamn sleep," Kol shouted at them from the doorway to the bedroom he'd taken. "Or proceed to do so on the chairs there. I'm sure this room has seen worse."

Caroline threw the empty bag in his direction and stalked back to her bedroom, Klaus on her heel. "You're not telling me everything," he started, and she hated that he knew that, that he could read her that well. "What else is there, Caroline?"

"They want you to stop what you're doing," Caroline muttered, wringing her hands together as she tried to stop shaking again. She couldn't look at him, remembering the rest of it. "They said I'd become a doll."

God, she didn't want to be a doll. Didn't want to live her undead years trapped in her own mind, seeing the world from her small peripheral but never being able to truly experience it again. "What exactly did the voice say, Caroline?" Klaus asked, a gentleness to his tone now. His hand was on her arm, rubbing it gently and she stared down at it for a second as she tried to remember what all had been said.

"They didn't use names but I just know it was in reference to you and Kol. And if you keep it what you're doing—which I'm gonna guess is this whole Silas thing—they'll strip me of my mind and I'll become a pretty doll for you to cart around." Caroline pushed away from him, not wanting the comfort anymore. "Which is  _not_ allowed to happen. So don't get any ideas."

"Sweetheart, the plans I have for you don't quite translate if you're nothing more than a decoration," Klaus pointed out, and Caroline crossed her arms, not liking the way his gaze lingered on her chest. The tank top she'd decided to sleep in leaving little to the imagination. "Seems there are witches involved. Unsurprising really. They're always caught up in business they shouldn't be."

Caroline didn't think it was Bonnie though. Her friend wouldn't do that to her. She was certain of that, but she remembered what Zelda had told her about people wanting sacrifices to obtain more power. About the witch who had suddenly gotten more power than she'd ever had back in the forties, about the cult needing to rise again. Maybe it was one of them?

"We'll need to get you a protection amulet for when you sleep. Which I'm afraid you won't be able to do until we obtain one," Klaus continued, and he looked off, considering who would be best suited to contact for one.

"So whoever it was can't get in my head unless I sleep?" Because she'd just go on an all caffeine and blood diet if she needed to. Easy peasy. Not that she needed much sleep anyway.

"It's not impossible to do so if you're awake, but it'll take much more effort on their part. A little too draining and they'd be unable to take you over completely at that point. Not unless they have enough backing behind their little spell," Klaus mused, and Caroline didn't find any of that to be very comforting.

"Can't we ask Zelda for one?" Caroline suggested. The witch seemed powerful enough to create something like that.

"If you want something lackluster that might not work correctly," Klaus replied, and she really hated the amused smirk he had on when she glowered. "But I happen to know a witch a little further up the bayou that's got a talent for such things. She may need a little persuading."

"I feel like your definition of persuading is threatening to murder her loved ones," Caroline muttered, sighing loudly when he shrugged.

"It gets the job done," he replied, and she hated how it did seem to work out in his favor most of the time.

"Not always," she groused, not sure why she was arguing with him. After all, he was trying to help her out. Though she wouldn't be in this situation if it wasn't for him in the first place. "How did they even know about me?" Not that there was even anything to  _know_  about her in relation to him.

"I'd wager that one of your friends talked to people they shouldn't have," Klaus murmured, and Caroline looked over at him then. "Or it could always have been the professor .He would have seen the two of us at the pageant. Could have revealed that little tidbit to someone else."

"Nothing even happened at the pageant," she snapped, hugging herself tighter. But she knew that was a lie. Anyone who didn't know them well, and probably even those who did, would've seen them laughing together, enjoying one another's company. Who knew what the weird professor would've taken from that.

"I thought we got along quite well," Klaus told her, reaching out and tracing a finger up her arm. "A little wit, quite a lot of laughter. You couldn't fake how much you enjoyed it."

"Are you sure? I seem to be pretty good at faking enjoyment around you," she lashed out, not wanting what he said to be true. As soon as the words were out of her mouth she regretted them. Caroline knew she was on such a precarious slope with him and his brother; she had no idea what would be the last straw for her in regards to Klaus' temper. She couldn't back down though and that might be her downfall.

The caress of his finger turned to him gripping her arm painfully tight. "Do you think I can't tell when you're being used against me?" he asked, leaning uncomfortably close to her. "You have tells, sweetheart."

"You didn't seem to realize it when you followed me out of the grill." She really needed to learn when to stop talking, when to cease antagonizing the beast.

"A mistake I haven't made since," Klaus told her, eyes narrowed dangerously before he released her and took a step back. She held still when he reached out to tuck a strand of her hair behind her ear. "Tell me, Caroline. Did you keep the drawing?"

"I don't see what that has to do with anything," she said, purposefully pushing the piece of hair back to where it had been.

His smirk at her answer only infuriated her. "I threw it away," she lied, not wanting him to think he'd won anything. He only seemed amused by her answer and she hated him for that. Her finely tuned control was slipping because of the nightmarish experience and that coupled with how she could run off at the mouth was a recipe for disaster. "Just because I kept your  _stupid drawing_ because I thought I looked good in it doesn't mean a damn thing. So  _stop_  trying to read things into it."

She knew she should end it there, her brain was screaming at her to shut her mouth, but Caroline couldn't let it stop there. "You  _killed_  Jeremy. You ran Tyler out of town. You  _killed his mom._  You killed Jenna and so many freaking others. There is  _nothing_  between us. There will  _never_ be anything between us. No matter how many little drawings you do, or stories you tell me, or any of it. Because every time you do one thing that makes me think you're not as reprehensible as everyone else thinks you go and screw it up by showing me that you are horrible."

"And yet I'm the one who is going to be protecting you from becoming the doll you're terrified you'll be turned into," Klaus pointed out, and she wanted to scream.

"I'm only under that threat  _because of you_ ," she shouted at him, not caring if Kol was listening. She didn't care if the entire population of New Orleans was listening. "Because you've got this ridiculous obsession with me."

"If it was obsession, Caroline, I would have compelled, bed and killed you months ago," Klaus told her and she shivered at that, taking a step away from him. "And yet I never have even attempted compulsion on you. Not after your initial betrayal outside the grill—"

"I was helping my friends," she bit out, unwilling to back down on that point. "Just like you help yourself and your family. They're  _my_  family and I'll do whatever I have to in order to protect them."

"I'm aware," Klaus replied, and she expected coldness, not the gleam of admiration in his expression. She didn't like that at all. Didn't like the appreciativeness of his gaze, this time not at all sexual as he regarded her. "If you were simply an obsession, I wouldn't have lifted a finger to do what Kol asked. I'd have let the Council get you. Would never have given up one of my hybrids to secure that date with you."

"You did that to make it so Elena would stop going insane," she muttered, trying to ignore the pointed look he gave her. She couldn't stomach the rest of it. The thought he'd probably killed _Jeremy_  to protect her was twisted and it made her head hurt. At least she would be getting some kind of protection from whoever had gone into her head. Maybe after she got that she could figure out how to get the hell away from Klaus and back to Mystic Falls. Explain all she had picked up about Silas and figure out how to help her friends after all that had happened.

"Regardless of what you believe my motives to be, I do want you to be protected sooner rather than later. So get dressed and I'll inform Kol where we're going while he waits for our sister and Ripper to arrive," Klaus told her, already heading toward the door.

"Wait," Caroline called, nearly stumbling as she stepped forward. "Stefan's coming?"

She watched him stiffen at her hopefulness, saw the tension in his shoulders, the clenching of a fist at his side, but he simply stopped at the door. "I'm sure you'll see him when we return. Unless Kol has disposed of him. You have fifteen minutes, Caroline."

Caroline watched the door close and sank down onto the bed. If Stefan was coming that meant she couldn't just try and sneak off once she got whatever protection Klaus' witch would be giving her. There was no way she was leaving her friend with the Originals. Especially not a pissed off Klaus who'd she had escaped from. Maybe Stefan would have answers and she needed to protect Steven. When the hell had this become her life?

Closing her eyes she counted to ten, mentally centering herself before she pushed back off of the bed. She'd wallow later. She needed to get dressed, keep listening, and figure out an exit strategy that would keep her friends alive and not allow Silas to rise. If she could juggle school, vampirism, Miss Mystic Falls duties, cheerleading, and an obsessive Hybrid all at once then this should be a piece of cake.

* * *

There was something to be said about anonymity, moving through the crowded streets of Portland where no one knew his name, no one knew his face. He had traveled a bit with his family for vacations, but never to Oregon. His mother had preferred to go somewhere sunny, with beaches and cocktails served poolside. His father had enjoyed skiing sometimes, but they had always gone to Aspen for that. There was nothing in his past life that could connect Tyler Lockwood to this city and he figured that was why he came there.

He had no idea what he was doing. He'd gotten money out before leaving, filled a backpack with clothes, cash from the safe and a few other odds and ends he could pawn off if he really needed to. There was no point to credit cards; he didn't want to need an ID after getting off the plane he'd taken to cross the country and then hopping buses to get to the city he'd eventually chosen. That would make it too easy for Klaus to find him.

And if all else failed there was always compulsion.

Was he supposed to do this forever? Run with his tail between his legs and hope that the immortal Hybrid wouldn't come knocking. Look over his shoulder at every shadow, jump at every bump in the night, waiting for the inevitable. The mere thought of it filled him with rage, a darkness running through his veins that wanted to boil over. He wanted to lash out, to make Klaus pay for everything that he had done. For taking his pack, for killing his mom, for making him leave the woman he loved behind.

Tyler worried about Caroline, even more so after she had told him what would happen if she left with him. There was little doubt in his mind that Klaus would make good on the threat to kill the entire town. He just wondered what the guy was doing now that she was left behind. Did the others realize how deep Klaus' infatuation with her seemed to go? Would they keep using her to keep Klaus away from whatever they were doing, forcing her to interact with the maniac and giving him more reason to become fixated on her? Just like he had.

He sank down onto the bed of the cheap motel, the blanket itchy beneath his fingers. He could see the water stains on the ceiling, heard the constant drip of the leaky sink in the bathroom. Two doors down the occupants were having a fight. Even further down someone was watching porn on the television. Tyler shut his eyes, trying to quiet the world, to clear his head of everything that had happened.

"It wasn't your fault, Tyler."

Tyler froze at the sound of his uncle's voice, clenching his eyes shut tighter. Was he going insane? Was this what insanity was? Maybe it was a trick of his mind. He was exhausted.

"You were trying to protect your pack. You never knew he would come after your mother when you were betrayed."

Tyler peered out of one eye, clenching it closed again after he spotted his uncle Mason standing at the foot of the bed. He took a deep breath, pressing his hands to his eyes as he tried again to clear his head, to force away what was happening.

"Open your eyes, Tyler."

That wasn't his uncle's voice. That was Jules. The wolf who had died as part of Klaus' sacrifice, the one who had taken Tyler in and helped him learn more about being a werewolf, helped him deal with the pain of his transformation.. He had to be going insane. There was no other explanation. He did as told though because better to be facing the insanity head on. Maybe then he could force it away.

But there they stood, Jules and his uncle, one standing at his feet and the other walking around the motel room. "I can honestly say that I never thought I'd see you staying in a place like this," Jules mused as she walked around the room.

"Am I losing my mind?" Tyler wondered out loud, glancing over at Mason who laughed at that.

"Not quite," Mason told him. "Veil to the Other Side isn't as strong as it used to be. We have a powerful friend making this possible so we can have a little chat."

Tyler stared blankly at him, unsure what he was referring to. He might have heard those words at some point, but he hadn't really bothered to understand them. Maybe it was something Caroline had said? Or Bonnie? He didn't know.

"Supernaturals go the Other Side when they die," Mason explained, and Jules nodded in agreement. "Right now it isn't as strong as it was and we're going to use that to our advantage. Make those who killed us suffer."

"What about my mom?" Tyler asked looking between the two of them, wondering if he'd be able to see her as well.

"She wasn't a supernatural," Jules replied, offering a small, sympathetic smile. No. Carol Lockwood hadn't been supernatural and Tyler supposed that meant he really would never see her again. Not if what they said was true. He'd go to some Other Side when he died. Somewhere she wasn't. And that was like another knife in the gut. "You want to avenge her death?"

"More than anything." His mother's. His packs. The loss of his future. He wanted to avenge it all.

"Good," Mason replied, affable smile on his face as he rose. "Then you need to listen carefully and do exactly as we say."

"Klaus will get everything he deserves?" Tyler asked, needing confirmation on that. Klaus hadn't been the one who had killed Mason, but he had killed Jules as part of the sacrifice and Tyler could see the thirst for revenge in her eyes.

"And then some," Jules promised, almost gleeful, which really should have pulled up a red flag, but Tyler had a singular focus now and anything that could bring down Klaus Mikaelson sounded like a good idea to him in that moment.

The rage that had been festering in his veins only seemed to expand, burrowing deeper into his soul, and wrapping tightly around him. Maybe if he had been thinking clearly he would have noticed both Jules and his uncle exchanging looks, the sinister smiles on their faces, but Tyler was too focused on the revenge fantasies going on inside of his own mind. Of seeing Klaus's face contorted in pain, in realizing that he'd been beaten and would never see the light of day again. It was a good dream, it was one he'd do anything to see become reality.

"Tell me what I need to do."

* * *

Rebekah rapped twice on the door, barely giving the Salvatore beside her a glance as she waited for it to open. Maybe she hadn't gone about getting his services in the best way possible—what with snapping his neck and kidnapping him from the scene—but she had known he knew about the cure and she wasn't about to talk to Klaus about it. Not at that point. Though what she had learned once Stefan had regained consciousness had confused her and her conversation with Kol over the phone hadn't done much to clarify anything. Hopefully talking with him in person would rectify that.

Plus it'd be nice to shove something sharp and pointy into Klaus' chest cavity. Even if it wouldn't do anything permanent to him.

"Why aren't we in the villa?" she demanded as soon as Kol opened the door, huffing at his smile. He always seemed like there was some sort of joke that only he found funny going on inside of his head when he looked like that. It was highly annoying. "This hotel is nice and all, but I quite liked our rooms at that place."

"You'd have to ask Nik, sister," Kol replied, stepping aside so the two of them could enter.

Rebekah glanced around the room. "And where is my backstabbing brother?" The least he could do is show himself so she could take out her wrath on him.

"Off to find a witch to protect Caroline," Kol hummed, closing the door behind him and bypassing her to get to the liquor cabinet. "Scotch?"

Rebekah wondered if this was what 'seeing red' was like. She had come across states, via plane, after much cajoling on her part with the younger Salvatore, after having been daggered for who even knew how many times, and her brother was out gallivanting with the annoying little cheerleader? How typical of him.

"What's wrong with Caroline?" Stefan asked, and she despised the concern in his voice for the other girl. Couldn't take the worry in his features and Rebekah picked up the nearest object, an antique lamp, and threw it at the wall.

Kol sat down on the couch, that annoying smile on his face as he motioned for Stefan to sit down as well. "Rebekah doesn't like being second to anyone. Especially other girls."

Rebekah rounded on him, throwing some sort of crystal decoration at him. Kol easily caught it and put it down. "Not that there have ever really been any like that when it comes to dear old Nik. Must be rather upsetting to not be his number one any longer," Kol continued, and she wanted to strangle him but knew that would be useless.

"What's going on with Caroline?" Stefan tried again, and Rebekah rolled her eyes and headed to the liquor cabinet to retrieve something to drink.

"Nasty dream business. Someone trying to use her to stop him from doing what we need to do." Kol shrugged, scooting over for Rebekah to sit beside him once she had her bottle. "Seems there are witches dabbling in magic that they shouldn't."

"Dark magic? We've seen that before. Easy enough for us to handle with the right counters" Rebekah mused. They'd seen plenty of witches experiment with that in their travels. Not to mention it had been how their own mother had been able to turn them into the creatures that they currently were. Besides, they had always had their own witches in their employment and while she and Kol may have been daggered for many years, Elijah and Klaus had been out and about. She highly doubted that they didn't have powerful witches at their disposal.

"Expression," Kol replied, features darkening and that little smile that always seemed to be on his face replaced by a scowl. Rebekah frowned; she had no idea what that even meant, hadn't ever heard of it and considering she'd been her mother's apprentice back when she'd been human that worried her a bit. "Something to share with the class, Stefan?"

Rebekah glanced over at the Salvatore who had recognition in his gaze at the word. Interesting that he had heard of it before she did. That Kol knew of it too. "Bonnie is learning that. Was learning that from the Professor," Stefan answered. "Before your brother murdered him. I know he didn't pull the trigger on Jeremy or Matt by I'd bet my life that he orchestrated their deaths as well."

"What?" Rebekah nearly dropped the bottle of bourbon. She had to have heard that wrong. She didn't know who the professor was, nor did she particularly care about his death, or Jeremy's, but _Matt_? Why in the world would Klaus have gotten Matt killed? "What the hell did I miss?"

Kol motioned for Stefan to explain and leaned back against the couch. "I'll let the Salvatore take the floor with this one."

"I don't know why he killed any of them. We can't get to the cure without them and that was his entire goal until a few nights ago." Or at least that was what Stefan had assumed. It's what had made the most logical sense. It's what Klaus had told him but then the Hybrid had gone and killed the two people who could lead them to the cure. "I don't know why that changed."

"He realized the error of his ways. We're not getting the cure anymore," Kol replied with a shrug.

"But I want it," Rebekah started, not caring that she was whining. She rose, shaking her head at him. "I don't want to live forever anymore. I don't want to watch the world rise and fall, forever changing and never able to truly be part of it any longer." She raised her chin, looking defiantly down at her brother. "I don't care what you two say. I am going to get it. "

"It'll bring about hell on Earth and our dear old father and mother back to life, but certainly, Rebekah. We'll just disregard that so that you can get your latest whimsy," Kol replied, waving his hand at her.

She hated his tone, hated the way he talked to her as though she was still a child in that moment. They all did that. No matter how many years had passed for them she would always be their younger sister. They would never see her as a grown woman. Not even when she had decapitated whole towns and feasted on their blood. She was always and forever the baby. It was revolting.

She forced herself not to scream at that though, not wanting to give Kol further ammunition to use against her and replayed his words in her mind instead. "Why don't you explain exactly what you mean instead of being an insufferable git about it," she barked, moving to sit down by Stefan instead.

It was hard not to note the way the other vampire flinched at the close contact. No doubt he'd expected some of her temper to be taken out on him. She didn't know why that annoyed her so much. Hadn't he played his little part in helping Klaus dagger her the last time? It should be her that shied away from him, not the other way around.

"The cure is with Silas," Kol started, and Rebekah sighed, clearly exasperated.

"Not that old wives' tale again, Kol," she muttered. Hadn't he gone on enough about that superstition two hundred years ago?

"What does this have to do with Silas?" Stefan interrupted. "Shane said something about him to the others. But he was a tale that went along with the stone."

"Qestiyah's tombstone," Kol replied before glaring at Rebekah. "It's not a tale. It's the truth and if any of you bothered to listen to the witches and their fears of what his rise would mean we wouldn't be in this predicament right now. With expression being taught to Bennett witches, others getting into the pretty little blonde things head, and Silas already waking. Jeremy had to die. He had the beginnings of the mark that lead to where Silas is resting. As for Matt, not sure exactly why Nik took him out too. Collateral damage." He shrugged, clearly not caring that the other boy had died. "Didn't you want me to kill him only months ago, Bekah? Or did you keep pining after the lowly human?"

She reciprocated his glare. "Shane knew about it all and was purposefully trying to bring Silas back so Klaus needed to kill him too," Kol continued. "And now we need to stop his rise or we're pretty much all screwed."

"Screwed how?" Stefan asked, sounding tired and Rebekah glanced over at him.

"Silas rises and destroys the Other Side. All those who died and are there return here—such as our mother and father. Alaric. Countless others we've wronged in one way or another." Kol leaned forward. "I know what you're thinking. Not so bad. Just kill the ones we don't want and enjoy the resurrection of those we've missed. Except with no Other Side there's nowhere for the dead to go so they remain."

Rebekah blinked, the possibilities already running through her head and none of them were good. Having Mikael and Esther back, having to go on the run again. She didn't want that to ever happen. They finally didn't need to run anymore, didn't need to fear their father appearing and destroying everything in his constant quest. Rebekah didn't want to go back to how things had been.

"Ever wronged any wolves, Stefan?" Kol continued, swirling around his own glass of scotch. "How would you like them to come back and continuously chase you, to bite you, to endure that death over and over? We all know there's only so much blood my brother freely gives away to heal that kind of thing."

"You could have simply told us all of this instead of having Jeremy killed," Stefan argued. "Instead of Matt being collateral damage."

Kol shrugged. "I didn't really care how my brother stopped you lot as long as he did. Time was a bit of the essence since I had Caroline. I doubt he wanted to bother with a little chit chat."

Stefan's stony silence was all the reply Kol got for that.

"So what now?" Rebekah asked, placing her bottle down on the side table. "If they're dead then why are you two still here? Why is…" She paused, her mouth twisting in annoyance. " _Caroline."_ She said the name with such disgust that Kol's mouth twitched in amusement. "In some apparent danger that Nik has gone with her elsewhere for protection?"

"Because Silas is already rising and now we need to stop that from happening." Kol arched his brows. "I'd rather not leave it all to chance. Especially when powers are already working to try and interfere with us doing so. Means we're on the right path."

He rose. "But I'm famished. So why don't we go and get a little snack while we wait for Nik and his little treat to return. I'll fill you in on the rest while we're out. Let me just grab my jacket."

He was already in the bedroom before either of them could respond. "I'm sorry about Matt," Rebekah murmured, even though she couldn't quite glance over at Stefan when she spoke.

"I almost believe you mean that," Stefan replied, glancing over at the hotel phone. "I need to call Damon."

"You could always simply leave and return to Mystic Falls now. I won't stop you," Rebekah informed him, though she knew he wouldn't.

"I'm not leaving without Caroline."

Of course he wasn't. She knew he'd stay behind for the girl. It was irritating how quickly Stefan and Klaus seemed to jump in order to help her. She didn't understand the appeal at all.

"Tell Kol I'm freshening up." Rebekah rose and headed off to the nearest bedroom before he could reply. Not that she expected Stefan to.

So they needed to stop Silas' rise. She could understand that, would help her family do that. But not once did Kol explain why she couldn't get the cure as well while they did all of that. So she would keep her eye out for an opportunity to make her dreams come true, in spite of her brothers and their feelings on the matter.

* * *

Klaus realized that Caroline didn't want to be in the car with him, most likely didn't want to be within a few feet of him at that point, but her constant huffing, reaching over and changing the station every five minutes, or the clacking of her fingers against the window was beyond grating. He'd murdered for far less, daggered a sibling for as much, and was seriously contemplating how much of a setback it would be if he snapped her neck for the remainder of the ride.

She reached over to change the station again and he grabbed hold of her wrist, not to cause pain, only to stop her movement. "Caroline, if you do that one more time I will rip the bloody stereo from the car and toss it out the window," he told her and then released her.

Her only reply was a snort and no doubt a rolling of the eyes as she scooted over in the seat, further away from him and crossed her arms again. "Why couldn't we have just vamp sped to wherever we're going?" she groused, resting her head back on the seat and staring out the window.

"I had assumed that you would enjoy the scenery," Klaus mused. Clearly he had been wrong in that assessment. Though he had seen her gaze travel out the window a number of times, curiosity peeking in her features before she schooled them into calculated scowls.

"Well, you know what they say about when you  _assume_  something," she muttered, before glancing over at him. He arched a brow at her, wondering what she was going on about. He might not have been daggered like his siblings all of those years but certain human peculiarities he didn't bother to learn. The little pop culture references would be dead in a few decades anyway. "When you assume you make an ass out of you  _and_  me? Seriously? You didn't live in a box."

"You'll come to find that you have less interest in the meanderings of human pop culture as the years pass by, Caroline," Klaus started as he steered the car toward the next exit. "The importance of who won some trivial reality show will become a speck of dust in your long lifetime. The sayings that are popular in this day and age will lead into new ones and so on until those peculiar intricacies of fifty years ago no longer matter."

"Way to sell eternity," Caroline replied, staring out the window again. He could see her uneasy expression in her reflection.

"You're thinking as a human still. You'll understand it better once you have a few decades under your belt," he told her as he looked out for the building he hadn't visited in some years.

"Maybe I want to hold onto thinking that way," she muttered and he arched a brow at that.

"You're not human, Caroline," Klaus pointed out as he pulled up the driveway to the small building off to the right. "And you have no intention of becoming so again."

"You don't know that," she snapped, unbuckling her seatbelt and moving to open the door, but he stopped her with a hand on her arm.

"So you'd take it then? If it was offered up, if we could somehow retrieve the coveted cure along with keeping Silas from rising?" Klaus asked, watching her expression carefully. He didn't believe she would. As much as he watched her hold onto the strappings of her past, he had also seen how she enjoyed what she had become, even if she tried to control every aspect of it, not quite allowing herself to see exactly all that she could accomplish if she allowed herself to truly experience vampirism.

"That's none of your business," Caroline spat, trying to wrench her arm away from him. Her narrowed eyes at his knowing smile only added credence to his own suspicions about which way she would choose if offered the cure.

"At topic of conversation to continue at another point," Klaus suggested, releasing his hold and nodding toward the house. "We may not get the warmest of welcomes so stay behind me when we enter."

Caroline snorted at that. "I could just stay in the car until you deem it 'safe'." She even air quoted around the word. How delightful.

"I'd rather have you in my sights," Klaus informed her, motioning for her to get out of the car as well.

He ignored her mutterings, though he was unable to stop the small smile from spreading on his face at her little obscenities. He enjoyed when she was riled up, when that anger radiated on her face, the narrowing of her eyes, the tension that seemed to percolate through her body. Caroline Forbes was no wilting flower and he enjoyed that about her. She said what was on her mind and even when what she said annoyed him to no end, he did appreciate that. Klaus didn't think he would ever become tired of that about the young vampire in front of him.

"Are we doing this or what? Because I want to get back to Stefan." Caroline crossed her arms, nodding toward the building behind them.

Klaus pressed his lips together at the mention of Ripper. Even if he knew there was no reason to be jealous of their relationship, that it was strictly friendship between the two vampires, he couldn't help himself. They turned to one another for comfort, for support, and he wanted that. From both of them really. One who had been someone he could call friend and the other…he couldn't quite explain what Caroline was yet, couldn't quite accept the words, but Klaus did know that he wanted them both in his life. More so her than Stefan if it came down to a choice, though he'd prefer both. Stefan had quite a bit to make up for anyway with his ample betrayals over the last few months.

"Remember what I said," Klaus reminded, motioning for her to get behind him as he started toward the doorway.

It was a public business, the sign above the door offering natural remedies for various ailments. Rainbows danced on the ground, reflecting off the abundance of crystal that hung from porch, swaying gently in the breeze. He knew the witch inside would have sensed their presence as soon as they arrived on the driveway, but he'd kept an eye out for an escape and hadn't seen one.

Magdalene had dealt with him before though and knew the consequences of trying to run all too intimately. Klaus doubted the witch would make the same mistake twice. The stake came flying at him as soon as he pushed open the door, but Klaus quickly caught it, not even wincing at the fact it was soaked with vervain. He pushed Caroline away from the door, knowing what would come next, and not wanting her in the crossfire. Her annoyed exclamation was cut short as the bucket of vervain fell down in the space he had been seconds before.

Klaus knew she was fine outside, away from the traps the witch had set for any vampires, and he utilized his speed to head forward, tearing the door to the back off its hinges with one easy swoop. Magdalene had a gun cocked in his direction. No doubt filled with wooden bullets.

"Call next time," she muttered as she lowered the weapon. "Then I won't go through the whole horse and pony show when I sense a vampire in the area."

"I think you'll find I'm much more than that now," Klaus informed her, unable to keep the pride out of his voice at that fact.

"I heard," Magdalene replied, setting the weapon down and moving to the wall to flick a few switches that cut off the traps she had implemented. "You told me my service to you was completed the last time."

"Circumstances and all," Klaus shrugged, not really caring about what he had told the witch. "I need a protection amulet and you do happen to be the best witch available for that sort of thing."

"Why not ask Greta?" Magdalene inquired as she started back into the shop, shaking her head at the destroyed door. "Isn't she your go-to witch these days?"

"Her services are no longer available," Klaus replied, clasping his hands behind his back as he followed her out. From the way the witch cringed at his words he had a feeling she had an idea of what the younger witch's fate had been. "Help me with this and I'll walk away, leaving you with your life. I consider that to be a rather decent deal." He leaned against the counter, smirking as he watched her.

"Protection amulet against what?" Magdalene asked, pulling a grimoire off the shelf before looking back at him.

"Regrettably I'm not entirely sure, but I'd wager against the newly forming cult of Silas." Klaus noted the clenching of the witch's hands on the book, the tension that seemed to go right through her before she looked at him. "Have your attention now, don't I?"

"I'd have thought your physiology—being an Original and a hybrid—would have garnered you some special favors in regards to protection against that," Magdalene mused, and Klaus didn't like the slight smile she had. He didn't quite understand why she'd think being an Original would benefit him at all in regards to Silas either. He'd need to get that out of her at some point.

"It's not for me," Klaus replied, picking up one of the skulls on display.

"Who could you possibly want to protect?" Magdalene asked, and he didn't answer, not particularly liking that question.

"Am I allowed in yet or what?" Caroline shouted from outside, standing in the doorway and looking exasperated.

Klaus didn't like the curious look that passed over the witch's face as she looked over at Caroline and then back at him. Perhaps he would kill her after her services were completed. Wouldn't do to have someone else think they'd found a vulnerability to use against him.

 


	6. Chapter 6

_but he who dares not grasp the thorn should never crave the rose.-_ Anne Brontë

* * *

Caroline crossed her arms, cocking her head as she looked at Klaus, her expression clearly unimpressed with the fact that she was still outside. Obviously he and the witch were getting along just fine so shouldn't she be allowed inside now? What the hell was the hold up? She saw the curiosity in the woman's gaze though as it passed between her and Klaus. She noted the hardness to his eyes even as the rest of his expression remained neutral.

That was definitely not good.

"If you're the one who needs protection then I will need you in here," the witch told her, motioning for her to come in and Caroline entered, trying not to spare a glance at the Hybrid.

She was going to ignore that hardness at the witch's curiosity about her, that tension she could see in his clenched fist even as he leaned casually against the counter, urging the witch to continue what she had been doing. "What precisely is the cult of Silas doing to you?" Magdalene asked, looking Caroline over.

She didn't really like the woman's gaze, the assessment passing through her glance as she was looked over. It wasn't like in high school when the guys checked her out in the hall or on the street when skeevy men decided to look her up and down before realizing who she was and remembering it wasn't a good idea to catcall to the Sheriff's daughter. No, this was like she was being scrutinized under a microscope, every inch of her being looked at to the fullest.

Caroline shifted her stance, locking her gaze with the other woman's and offering up her patented 'don't fuck with me' face. She was on edge enough as it was and didn't want to contemplate whatever the hell the woman was thinking about her. Like she cared what some random bayou witch thought in regards to her. The insecurities that would have dog piled her a year ago had been squashed as soon as the movement was detected. There was only one witch Caroline cared about and she'd like to get this over with so she could figure out a way back to her.

"They're getting into my head while I'm sleeping, trying to take it over and pretty much succeeding. So I'd like that to stop," Caroline finally replied. "They threatened to turn me into a doll-like state." She nearly added the rest, about why they would do that, but Caroline saw Klaus' gaze cut to her in that moment and she stopped talking.

"Why? You're young. Not of any great strength. While usually the younger ones tend to be more volatile the control you exude in your stance already shows that's not how you are. So I don't know why they would be after you," Magdalene mused and Caroline shrugged.

"I guess I won the raffle in 'crazy guy attractor' that day at the carnival. I've been trying to give it back but I seem to attract psychos." Caroline didn't bother to glance over at Klaus. She figured he'd pick on the fact she meant him. And Damon. The wolves that'd kidnapped her to get to Tyler. Even Alaric when he'd lost it. "So if you've got a repellant for that as well I will like buy it in bulk."

"They were able to immobilize her, control her bodily functions so she could open her eyes and see the outside world but made no movement to speak. I'm not entirely certain she was able to hear at that point either," Klaus butted in and Caroline couldn't help but shiver at the reminder of that morning. It had been the most terrifying moment in her life. "They also were able to bar me from entering her dreams."

Magdalene arched a brow at that and Caroline figured the witch's ability to do so must have been a big deal. "The why doesn't factor in at all to what you need to do. You know what they were capable of doing and I need that to not happen again," Klaus continued. "Either you do this in a timely fashion or I enjoy a favorite pastime of mine by leaving you in pieces for your next customer to find."

Klaus had the witch pressed against the wall, holding her up by her throat; feet kicking as she tried to reach the floor, before Caroline could even blink. "Klaus!" she cried out, shaking her head at the display. "How the hell is she supposed to help if you kill her?"

"There are plenty of witches in the world, Caroline. Either dear Maggie here does as I need or I will make good on my promise," Klaus replied, not bothering to look at her. His attention was on the witch who was grasping at his hands, trying to pull them off of her.

"How do I know you won't do that anyway?" Magdalene strained, trying to breathe. She knew he'd snap her neck if she tried the spell that caused pain to erupt in his head. Had a feeling that going after the girl with the same spell would cause the same reaction.

"You don't," Klaus replied, and Caroline picked up one of the books that was on the counter and chucked it at him.

"Stop it!" she screamed, throwing a bottle and candle stick next. "Try freaking asking politely for once. Maybe it'd work better than your constant 'let me prove I'm the alpha male' ways. Which _honestly_  the alpha shouldn't have to prove so damn much if he really was one."

The look Klaus directed at her as he glanced her way had her drop her hand, though she still held onto the next book she had been prepared to throw. "Need I remind you that I am doing this for you?" he started, never letting go of the witch.

"Did I ask you?" Caroline countered, glaring at him. She knew she needed what the witch could offer though. "She can't even help if you kill her. Which blah blah blah, plenty of witches in the world, but we need this done  _now_  so like the temper tantrum isn't helping."

The rage that had been in Klaus' gaze seemed to vanish and he dropped the witch, opening his arms as he looked at Caroline, motioning for her to take the lead. "Then by all means, do this your way," he told her, stepping away from Magdalene.

Caroline watched him, noting the slight amusement to his features as he sat down and waved for her to continue. The witch was rubbing her throat, trying to soothe the pain that was still emanating from the area, and Caroline turned her attention back to her. She didn't like doing that. Something about how Klaus had stepped back had her on edge. She didn't like the calmness he was exuding, knowing it was all a lie. He was like a viper waiting for the perfect time to attack and she was on edge because of it.

"I really could use your help," Caroline told the woman. "If I'm locked up like some porcelain doll then I can't really help stop Silas. I just want to get back home, to find my friends and stop the chaos from erupting that will if he's allowed to roam the world or whatever. It can even be something temporary. My friend Bonnie can probably whip something up later if needed."

Magdalene looked down at Caroline's hand where she wore her ring, grasping it with her own and holding it up into the light. "Bennett magic," she muttered before dropping the hand and moving to collect some materials. "You're friends with a Bennett witch?"

Caroline nodded, not sure why that was relevant. Though it did seem like the Bennett magic line was pretty damn special so it wasn't too surprising that other witches might know about it. "So can you help?"

"I don't know. I've never seen anything quite like what you described before but I can try," Magdalene told her, offering a small smile that Caroline reciprocated. "I don't think an amulet would be good though. Too easily ripped off or forgotten. But a ring. Now that I could manage and since you already have one that you never go without, it shouldn't be too difficult to remember to continuously wear another."

Caroline nodded. "I am all about my accessories," she murmured, mentally preparing herself to wear another probably hideous ring. Hopefully this one wouldn't be forever.

"Give me a few minutes," Magdalene replied and turned to gather some items from the shelves of the shop.

Caroline watched her for a few moments before turning to look at Klaus. " _See_ ," she started, trying not to sound too smug. "No threats needed. Just politeness. It's amazing how far that can get you."

Klaus' smile wasn't at all sweet, reminding her of what she'd heard the youth counselors at church telling her the devil looked like when he smiled at someone. She hadn't been to church in ages but for some reason she couldn't seem to get out what she remembered one of them telling her about how the devil didn't look like a monster. After all he had been an angel at one point. His good looks didn't change the fact that he was evil.

Not that she thought Klaus was evil.

She didn't really want to think about what she thought he was right then and there with him staring at her in that way he always did. Caroline hated that look, the one that seemed to pierce into her very soul, like he saw parts of her that she didn't want anyone else to see. The parts that she tried to hide away. Most of all she hated that he liked them.

"You're very short sighted, Caroline," Klaus told her, motioning for her to sit down across from him.

She didn't move for a moment, not wanting to give him the satisfaction to acquiescing but she didn't really see the harm in sitting down. It looked like Magdalene would be a little while. "I'd wager it's because you're so young. You've yet to truly see any real passage of time," Klaus continued and she had a feeling she wasn't going to like where this conversation was going. "One thousand years and humankind hasn't changed a bit. Technology has improved some but the basic human emotions are the same. What drives each of them is the same as it was back when I was born."

He leaned forward and she realized just how close they were sitting and tried to shift so she was angled away from him. "Fear surpasses all language barriers. It's a fantastic motivator. You'll learn that with time."

Caroline crossed her arms, shaking her head at him. "Really? Because like I'm sure I've said before it doesn't seem to have gotten you all that much." She knew she should hold her tongue again, but the words just kept coming. Something about Klaus just riled her up to such a degree that she couldn't hold back. Not even if it was for her own benefit. "So you broke a curse. Congrats. But what else is it that you have? Not friends because you don't know how to like interact with people outside of ordering them around. Which is why you lost your hybrids. If you didn't abuse the sire bond then maybe—"

She didn't get to finish the sentence as Klaus slammed his hands onto the arms of his chair.  _"Don't._ " The hardness to his voice, the anger that she could hear there mixed with something else she couldn't quite give name to—was it pain?—had her swallow.

"Truth hurts, doesn't it?" Caroline flinched back at her own voice and wondered if this was her step too far. Was this what would finally push him over the edge and have him kill her?

Klaus didn't move though, simply stared at her, his gaze unreadable and Caroline shut her mouth then, hoping Magdalene would be finished soon. Not that she was looking forward to driving back to New Orleans with an enraged Hybrid. "All done," the witch informed them and Caroline rose, making sure to give Klaus a wide berth as she headed over to the woman.

"I can make no promises," Magdalene told her, slipping the ring onto her hand. "But it should keep out anyone you do not want inside of your head."

"And if I want them there?" Caroline mused, not really sure who that would even be, but who knew if there would come a time when she would. Better to know the answer to that.

"Then they'll be able to get inside."

The woman didn't say another word, wasn't able to as a picture frame came hurtling through the air, effectively slicing the woman's head off. Caroline let out a scream at that, not having expected it, blood spraying her face. She had no idea how long she stood staring down at the body before Klaus grabbed her arm, pulling her out of the shop.

"Why did you do that? She helped. She freaking helped!" Caroline shouted, trying to get out of his grasp.

"I had no intention of letting her live, Caroline," Klaus replied, shoving her into the car. "Not after what she figured out."

Caroline wiped at her face, trying to get the blood off of it as Klaus started the car. She knew there wasn't any point to running. He'd only get her back and probably snap her neck and she really didn't want to deal with that. "What the hell are you talking about?" What had the witch figured out? What was so important that he had to kill her when she had helped?

"Oh I'm aware you have no idea, sweetheart." Caroline looked over at him and he glanced over at her. His gaze locked with hers and she wanted the hardness back. She wanted to fear him because of his rage, of the notion that she had no idea of what he was capable of some days, but that wasn't what he was showing her. It was that look he'd given her when she had walked into the ball, that one when he had followed her out of the grill and nearly been run over. That one that sent butterflies fluttering around her stomach at the pageant when he'd been annoyingly perfect. She couldn't handle that look.  _He_  wasn't supposed to look at her like that.

"Or at least that you're refusing to acknowledge it." Klaus looked away and Caroline didn't respond to him. "I'm quite certain that's the bloody problem."

She wished she had run. A broken neck would've been preferable to the fear of what Klaus' looks he only ever directed at her actually meant. She really should have held out for the repellant.

"And I see I'll be getting the silent treatment for the ride. Do not touch the radio this time," Klaus told her and Caroline pressed her forehead against the window, trying to drown him out, to drown out her own thoughts.

She looked down at the new ring on her hand that she hadn't even had a moment to really inspect before and wiped at it with her shirt, trying to get the blood off. It wasn't all that horrible, really not her own taste but it would do. At least this band was silver instead of gold and there was a black stone set in the middle. She had no idea what kind of rock it was. Caroline looked back toward the shop that they were driving away from and sent out a silent thank you to the witch who had died because of her.

Glancing over at Klaus, she sighed, wondering exactly how many more would die and realized she really didn't want the answer to that. Because that would mean acknowledging things she wasn't ready to accept yet.

* * *

Elena wanted to scream. She wanted to throw things about, to tear at her skin and make herself actually  _feel something._  But her mind was at war, part of it trying to acknowledge all that had happened. The fact that she had lost not only her little brother, the last remaining member of her family, but Matt as well. Both of them dead and she would never be able to get them back. She wanted to sob over it, to push her face into the pillow and let out all of the anguish she was feeling over their loss.

She couldn't though.

Every time she tried, every time the thought of what had happened to them came crashing down on her again, her mind went almost blank. A calmness tried to take over,  _everything's fine_ repeating on a loop in her head. She looked in the mirror and saw the smile on her face and wanted to rip it off, nails biting into her cheeks for a moment before gently pushing an errant strand of hair from her face. Every movement that was meant to unleash her anger, her sadness, was overpowered by another more pliable one, twisting her movements.

She had no control over it and she knew somewhere inside that it was the sire bond. That she was acting this way because of Damon but all of the bad thoughts were quickly replaced, reminding herself that he was only trying to protect her.

It was driving her mad, the constant conflict, and she didn't know how to voice what was happening to her. Not when she was supposed to be fine. When nothing was supposed to be wrong. The words just wouldn't come and he'd hold her and brush her hair, whisper that he was taking care of everything, and she just nodded along with it.

She asked about Stefan and he told her not to worry and so she didn't. Thoughts of Stefan pushed back to reside with Jeremy and Matt, never quite able to push their way to the surface but always there in the cracks that were forming.

She was stepping out of the shower when she heard the doorbell. It was Sheriff Forbes and hopefully that wasn't anything too concerning. Damon and the Sheriff were friendly. Maybe she had come by for a chat?

Except hadn't something happened? A reason for her to be around.

No no. Everything was fine. Nothing was missing in her life. Everything was right where it was supposed to be.

Elena wrapped the towel tighter around her body and moved to start brushing the tangles out of her wet hair. It wasn't her fault that she heard the other two's conversation. Vampire hearing just happened to pick up on it.

Jeremy.

Matt.

Dead.

The panic started rushing back to her, wanting to pull her down and crush her beneath its waves, but the quietness pushed through, calming her again.

Stefan.

It repeated. No reason to worry about him. Even if he was with Rebekah. No big deal at all.

But the Sheriff's next words had no failsafe in her head. Damon hadn't countered anything to do with Caroline. But she heard what the Sheriff said, how her friend was in the Originals' hands and that wasn't good. The very idea of it frightened her. Would they kill her like…

And just like that the fog came back, cascading over her but the cracks were splintering. A mind was such a fragile thing and there was only so much it could take. The constant struggle to bury the pain was undoing her, breaking her apart and no amount of sire bond was going to be able to fix that right then.

Elena fell, her eyes glazing over. She heard Damon and the Sheriff enter the room, heard their cries for her, heard Damon trying to get her attention but everything was coming from so very far away. She couldn't quite hold onto it or make sense of what they were saying.

The smile stayed on her face though. That reminder that everything was okay. There was no need to worry. It was all fine.

She didn't understand what was happening next. How she was outside of her body, staring down at it with Damon and Caroline's mom beside her. One frantically shaking her, trying to get her to move, while the other tried to be a calming presence.

"Am I dead?" Her own voice startled her, not having heard it much in the last few days. Not expecting to be able to even speak from where she was. Not that she even had a clue as to where that was exactly.

"You're not dead."

Elena turned at that, convinced her hearing was playing a trick on her but no, there was Alaric. And beside him were Jenna and Jeremy. She didn't even hesitate, not caring for a second if this was some new whacky scheme because they were right there and she missed them. She was across the room, hugging the three of them tightly and the overwhelming sense that everything was supposed to be fine didn't take over.

"Are you sure I'm not dead?" Because that was the only conceivable way she could think she'd be able to see any of them.

"You're currently hovering between life and death," Jeremy told her as he pulled back. "But don't worry; you'll swing back to life in a few minutes. Your mind is just having you take a timeout for a bit."

"We took the opportunity to see you," Jenna finished, brushing hair off Elena's face.

"Not just for a social call though," Alaric reminded and the other two nodded. "When you're back in control of yourself you need to convince Damon to keep looking for the cure."

"We don't have a way to find it anymore." Elena looked over at Jeremy, still unable to see the mark on his arm, but how was she supposed to find it without the map? "And I don't care about it." She never had. That had been everyone else. Elena wished they had never tried to find that damn thing. Then maybe Jeremy would still be alive. "I don't want it."

"Listen, you little…" The voice was coming out of Jenna's mouth but it wasn't Jenna.

Elena stepped back; staring at the three people she considered family. There was something off about them, something that was not them. She really looked at them again, the safety she had felt a moment ago giving way to a coldness that surrounded her. The three of them disappeared, evaporating into smoke around her and Elena frowned, whirling around as she tried to figure out what was happening.

"I tried to do this the nice way," a voice she had never heard before started, dark and gravelly, that seemed to surround her. She whirled around, never seeing anyone aside from her own body to the side, Damon and Liz kneeling beside it. But the coldness surrounded her, overwhelming her. "But it seems you would rather completely lose your mind to give me what I want. No matter to me, little doppelganger. I'll win in the end."

Elena fell to her knees, pain erupting inside of her head, more painful than anything she had ever felt before. She tried to fight against it, could feel her thoughts being ripped from her, memories twisted and altered before being shoved back in again. Her mind was shattering into a million little pieces and there wasn't a damn thing she could do about it.

Her body beside Damon started convulsing and on some level of awareness Elena could hear him calling her name, trying to help her and she tried to hold onto that, to anchor herself to him, but the pain was too much, what was happening inside of her head she couldn't overpower.

Eventually it stopped and Elena opened her eyes, looking up at the two concerned faces staring down at her. She didn't hesitate, reaching up to snap Damon's neck and pushing Liz, sending the woman flying across the room. Elena didn't stick around to see if she was alright, speeding out of the house, out of Mystic Falls, her mind focused solely on the task she had been provided to do.

The rest of the world be damned.

* * *

It was remarkable how much could be learned about any one person just by watching them for a small period of time. Usually Kol could care less about the Salvatore brother sitting in the booth across from him. He'd heard tales from Rebekah of how the vampire had been once upon a time, had heard mentioning of it from Klaus as well, but he hadn't ever really cared about what either of them had said. Who cared about what the vampire had done when he'd been stuck in a box unable to have his own kind of fun. The stories of the years he'd been out of commission meant little to him except to bring up a reminder of how he hadn't been able to experience any of it.

Though he enjoyed learning more about the culture of the current period. The video games were a riot; the amount of violence in them tickling his fancy, and the phrases that were thrown out so easily between people was fascinating. He quite liked the century he had woken up to and had every intention of enjoying every last bit of it before the world evolved into the next latest phases.

He was finding Stefan to be all sorts of amusing at the moment though. That brooding stare or glare depending on what he and Rebekah were doing. What most intrigued him was Stefan's response to the girl Kol had compelled to slice her wrist open and let her blood spill out into their drinks. That glazed over expression that begged for a taste. It had been a simple compulsion for the girl to not scream and a quick slice of her wrist later and the Bloody Mary was about to truly live up to its name.

"That'll be all for now," Kol informed the girl, pushing a napkin onto her wrist. "You really should be more careful with the silverware."

He didn't bother to watch her stumble off to clean herself up, pushing the drinks to Rebekah and Stefan instead as he picked up his own. "Not quite as good as directly from the vein but it hits the spot," Kol mused, clinking his glass with Rebekah's.

Stefan's lay untouched before him, the vampire not moving an inch toward it. Though was that a little twitch to his eye? Kol wondered exactly how much human blood did it take to turn him back into his more intriguing form. He'd have to ask Nik about that later. "Do you remember this place, sister?"

He motioned around to the club they were in. The building was the same though it wasn't quite like it had been back in the late 1900s. "As I recall, I wasn't allowed in here then," Rebekah replied, looking over at Stefan. "You're going to need to feed."

"I'm fine." Stefan's tone was cold and he didn't spare her a glance, his attention on the crowded dance floor instead.

Rebekah pouted, clearly put out by the harshness. "She's only looking out for you," Kol reminded, unsure whether to be amused by his sister's reaction or break his glass so he could stab Stefan with it.

Stefan didn't reply and Rebekah continued to pout, making the atmosphere at the table infinitely more dull. They only had themselves to blame for what he did next. Rebekah should have known better than to let him get bored. It never ended well.

Kol caught the arm of the next solo person who was passing by their table. "No screaming, no trying to run. Sit here and be quiet no matter what happens," Kol compelled, tugging the young man into the booth with them.

"Kol," Rebekah chided, glancing toward the crowd. No one seemed to have noticed anything awry. She supposed that if they did it would be easy enough to deal with them. Though she wasn't in the mood for a blood bath. Not with everything else that was happening.

"We're just having a little chat. Aren't we…what's your name?" Kol inquired, resting his arm on the booth behind the young man's head. The man didn't answer. Oh right, compulsion. "You can answer the question."

"Let him go, Kol," Stefan butted in, and Kol looked over at him, grinning at the tension in the other vampire's features. Oh this was fun. No point in stopping now.

The man answered but Kol hardly cared, picking up his arm and bit into it, taking a nice long drink before he looked back up. He knew blood was smeared a little on his face. He'd never been one for neatness, but it was Stefan's gaze locked on the man's still bleeding arm that had Kol most amused. He shifted the boy forward a bit, letting his arm lay on the table. Just that bit closer to Stefan.

Kol watched, almost entranced at the war raging in the vampire's features. That need to drink what was being offered was strong, but the one to control himself was as well. It'd be interesting to see which one won out in the end.

"Oh come on Stefan, have something to eat," Kol prompted, biting into the man's hand again, letting more blood flow. "I hear you're much more fun when you've eaten. Like that commercial I saw about some type of candy."

"Snickers," Rebekah supplied, and he could hear the uncertainty in her tone. Kol knew it wasn't in regards to the candy.

"That one," Kol leaned back against the booth, watching the veins darken on Stefan's face. Just needed some fang action now. "You're not yourself when you haven't fed, mate."

"Stop it, Kol," Rebekah ordered, shoving the man's hand off the table.

"Just trying to have a bit of fun, Bekah." Kol sighed, not really in the mood to antagonize his sister. There would be time for that later. Best to keep his entertainment options open.

" _Kol_."

He turned his attention to Zelda who was heading toward their table, shaking her head in disgust at what she was seeing. There was a fury in her features as well, one he knew all too well and enjoyed a little too much. No doubt she had heard about Nandi. Surely she hadn't truly expected him to have not killed the witch. Not with how it might have been beneficial.

"Hello, Zelda. I'm sure you remember my sister Rebekah and this is her companion, Stefan Salvatore." Kol introduced before glancing over at the young man. "No idea what this one's name is. But he tastes divine." The glare she directed him had him arching a brow. "Oh fine. Spoil my fun." He looked back at the young man. "Time to leave. Might want to go get those bandaged to stop the bleeding."

He pushed the man out of the booth, not caring that he stumbled off into the crowd. It was just a little blood loss. He should be fine. Kol patted the newly vacant spot beside him. "Might as well make yourself comfortable while you rail against me, Zee," he suggested, picking up his drink again.

"You killed Nandi," Zelda started, and Rebekah sighed, clearly also done with the night.

"I see no reason for us to be here while you chat up your witch," Rebekah interrupted, motioning for Stefan to leave the booth. "Caroline and Nik should be back soon enough and I'd rather be there to give him a piece of my mind." She looked at Stefan and Kol found her heated gaze to be very telling. "No doubt you'll want to fawn over her."

Someone really didn't like the attention that Caroline apparently received from him. That would make the dynamics of their next road trip fun if Stefan stuck around. Kol knew Rebekah would be and there was no possible scenario he could come up with where their brother would allow Caroline to be out of his sight. At least he wouldn't be bored on the ride back to Virginia.

He didn't bother to listen to Stefan and Rebekah's conversation as they left the club, turning his focus back to Zelda. "She said she was connected to her mother. Usually the death of one brings the death to both with that type of spell." Kol shrugged. "Fifty-fifty chance I knocked off an expression wielding witch. Seemed worth it to me."

Zelda shook her head, clearly not pleased and Kol leaned against the table, propping himself up by his elbow as he regarded her. "You know how I feel about witches, Zelda. How I respect what you can do. I had an opportunity and I took it."

Nothing more, nothing less. Though he had enjoyed it as well. No point in denying that.

"Nandi was a good person." Zelda's shoulder slumped, as she rested her hands on the table, staring at the blood drops.

"She was a means to an end," Kol replied, watching the shudder that ran through the witch. Perhaps it was a bit cold, but it was the truth. "You act as though it's startling behavior for me, Zelda. Did you forget all I did before I was daggered? Or were you too fixated on the things you and I used to get up to back then?" He smirked at her, reaching out to touch her hair and laughed when she pulled away. She had been beautiful back then, saucy. He'd enjoyed their time together before he had been daggered but it was obvious circumstances had changed since then.

He knew the spell that kept her around for over one hundred years had to be taking its toll and wondered how long she would keep pushing it. He'd be sure to visit her on her death bed, offer up eternity even when he knew she wouldn't take it, before ending her life in the quickest, and most pain free way he could come up with.

"Why are you still here? Did Klaus bring the girl to find her father's boyfriend?" Zelda inquired, still annoyed but not putting off as much anger as she had been before. Kol felt that was a point in his direction.

"Bit of an issue with someone trying to get into Caroline's dreams. Successfully doing so. Did a bit of a paralysis spell from in there. Has Nik in an uproar." Kol couldn't help but grin at the idea of it all. His brother being in a tizzy because of some girl was already highly unlikely but the fact Klaus hadn't simply killed her upon learning that someone was trying to use her against him made it all even more intriguing.

"No one witch could do that. Not unless they had given themselves over to expression completely," Zelda told him, and Kol looked back at her, waiting for her to continue. "When that happens you'll know because of what will happen to this world when it starts to break apart. You're dealing with a Coven. Why did they go for her?"

"Did I forget to mention how they want us to stop what we're doing or they'll destroy her so completely that she's nothing but a decoration? Also that my brother is very invested in keeping her out of harm's way," Kol shrugged. Oops. Should have put in the detail. "Seems whoever it is has deduced that we're trying to stop Silas' rise. What are the chances they'll be able to get into our heads?"

"You're older so it'll be more difficult but I wouldn't rule anything out," Zelda frowned and picked up the glass to take drink.

"Might not want to do that unless you're a fan of O negative. Though it may be A positive. I mix those two up sometimes." Kol grinned as she placed the glass down and pulled back from it as though she had been burned.

"Stop killing my witches," Zelda told him and started to get out of the booth.

"I think we'll be gone by morning. Shouldn't be able to kill too many more before then," Kol replied, grin becoming cockier. "Unless you'd like to help me occupy my time." The anger she directed at him in her glare was priceless but Kol simply smirked at her, enjoying her wrath. Even the smack of one of the drink trays against his head did little to ruin his amusement.

He laughed as she left, enjoying the frustration that radiated off of her, impressed with his own wit. Reaching over, he finished off the leftover drinks. No point in wasting them.

* * *

Magic had been beautiful to her once. It had been making feathers dance around, a new subject to talk about with her grandmother, something that allowed her to see the world with new eyes. It had tied her to nature and she had enjoyed it back then. But that seemed like a life time ago. Even lighting a simple candle didn't have the merriment that it once did.

She watched those around her on the back lawn practicing with their own, shifting objects through the air, lighting and extinguishing candles with smiles on their faces, and Bonnie wished she could go back to those days. Back to when magic wasn't something she desperately needed to have in order to protect those she loved. When it had actually been magical, something to look forward to learning more about. Instead that was replaced with desperation, a need to be able to save what was left of her friends.

There was no fun to it any longer. No laughter that went along with it. It was a force that she was learning to control and wield as she needed. She had gotten a bit of that spark for it back with Shane, the thrill of tapping into it again, but surrounded by these witches she wasn't feeling any of that.

"You're thinking too much," Valerie started, interrupting her thoughts and Bonnie turned toward her voice, watching the woman walk over to her. "Not surprising considering all you have dealt with over the last year or so."

Bonnie nodded, unable to help the suspicion of how the woman knew so much about what her friends and she had endured. If she had sensed it then why the hell hadn't she done anything to help stop it. Obviously she was in the area, not too far away from little Mystic Falls and had a Coven at her disposal. Something Bonnie could have used more than once in the past.

"I think Shane picked the wrong witch for this," Bonnie told her, shrugging slightly as she looked back out at the others. "Why not one of them?" They all seemed to have some degree of power. Why couldn't one of them tap into expression.

"You're a Bennett witch. You already wield a great amount of power." Valerie nodded toward the others. "Some of these are first generation witches. Others go back one or two but no one as long as your line goes. Your body can handle it. None of theirs could."

"What about you?" Bonnie watched the woman, wondering what her reaction would be to that question. Maybe there would be some tells in her body language.

"My line goes back far, but not quite as far as yours," Valerie replied, and held out her hands, palms up. "Why don't we try a spell?"

There wasn't anything to the woman's answer besides a small smile. Nothing off-putting, all Bonnie was getting from her was a calmness, acceptance. So she offered up her hands, slipping them on top of the woman's. She hadn't done a spell with another witch since her mother had been turned and she looked down at Valerie's hands, almost seeing Abby's hands for a moment and then her grandmother's. Bonnie closed her eyes, forcing the imaginings away, before she gripped Valerie's hands tightly and looked back at her.

Their gazes locked and Valerie started chanting a simple spell, one that Bonnie recognized but hadn't done in a while. She started saying it along with her and grinned as the magic began to flow between the two of them and then inside of her and out, surrounding the ground around them. Tiny flowers began to sprout, pushing up through the earth, speeding their life cycle along until they were in full bloom.

She was too focused on the beauty of it, the happiness radiating through her again to notice the tense look on Valerie's face as she looked over Bonnie's shoulder. One of the other witches had collapsed to the ground, dead, and was quickly being taken out of the area before Bonnie would notice.

"There's something we need to do," Valerie told her, pulling Bonnie's attention from the flowers back to her. "There are those who are trying to stop us from raising Silas. We need to find them and give them a taste of what is to come if they continue to do so."

Bonnie froze at that. "You want me to help kill them?" She nearly wrenched her hands back, but Valerie kept her hold on them.

"No. Only a warning." Valerie offered up another gentle smile. "Just something to stop them from making a mistake. They'll destroy the cure. Then where would your friends be?"

A warning couldn't hurt, especially if it wouldn't kill them. "And then we'll work on what we need to do in order to get the cure?" The raising Silas part could come after she fixed her friends. Even if she could almost hear her Grams in the back of her head telling not to buy into any of it. But if it meant actually seeing her grandmother again, it was worth it. At least maybe she could make it so what had happened to her Grams after she had abused her powers the last time could be undone. Expression was supposed to be really powerful magic so shouldn't she be able to fix that too?

"We already are," Valerie promised, placing the book on the space in front of them. "A locater spell to find them and then we'll send our warning."

Bonnie nodded, placing her hands down on the book in front of them. She closed her eyes, already beginning to work the magic, knowing the locater spell by heart. She had done it enough for her friends and while it felt different using expression to complete it, the motions and words were the same. Only where she took the magic from was different.

Valerie placed her hands over top Bonnie's, adding her own power to the spell. Images that Bonnie couldn't quite make out flashed in her head. Something almost familiar but she couldn't hold onto it long enough to make sense of it.

"Now we're going to let them know to stop what they're doing," Valerie told her, and Bonnie felt her body heating up, almost as though she was burning up with a fever.

"That should do it, thank you," Valerie told her, cutting off the spell as she pulled the book away.

The rush Bonnie had been feeling was gone but she nodded, thankful she had been successful once again. There were no hiccups with her powers anymore and she deemed that to be a good thing. She watched Valerie walk back into the house for a moment before turning away, wanting to use the solitude to ground her mind once again.

She frowned as she looked down at the flowers that had been in full bloom. They were all now dead. She focused her energy on them, not letting up until every petal was once again full of life.

All fixed.

Everything was just fine.

She never did see the bodies that were being put into the back of a car to be disposed of, the unknown sacrifices for her spike in power. Out of sight, out of mind seemed to be Valerie's motto, and from the way Bonnie continued to blossom with her powers, it seemed to be one that was working in their favor.

* * *

"It's about time that you got here," Rebekah started, and Klaus looked up at the ceiling for a moment, cursing whoever allowed it to be his sister to greet them.

He wasn't in the mood for whatever whining was about to come out of her mouth, and no doubt that would lead to a tantrum that he had no intention of dealing with either. He wanted nothing more than to secure Caroline in the hotel, make certain she wasn't about to run away, and head back out into the city so he could tear open some poor bystanders throat and drink his fill. It had already been a trying day, adding in Rebekah was only asking for heads to roll.

"Yes, well, we don't all feel a need to cater to your schedule, little sister," Klaus bit out, his annoyance tripling as Caroline flashed away from him and right to Stefan, enveloping him in a tight hug.

He narrowed his eyes, watching the two embrace, words of comfort and questions on well-being passing rapidly between the two of them. He despised the ease with which she hugged the other man. Hadn't Stefan done his own share of terrible deeds, killed his own share of people in horrific ways? What was it that allowed him to be embraced that way while he was shunned at every turn?

A look in Rebekah's direction clearly showed that she wasn't a fan of what was happening before them either. "Where's Kol?" Klaus inquired, turning his attention completely to his sister. It wasn't as though the other two could leave the area, no point in torturing himself by watching Caroline take comfort from another.

"Zelda and him are having a little chat," Rebekah informed him, crossing her arms as she looked over at him. "Did you do it?"

"You'll need to be a little more specific. I've done a number of things." Klaus walked past her toward the refrigerator, frowning when he saw that all of the liquor was gone. Of course. He should have known better than to leave Kol alone with it. "Haven't a clue what has you all riled up."

The sad part was that he really didn't. So he had daggered her but she had practically forced that to happen to her with how she had been behaving. Nothing else that had happened in between that time and her apparent awakening should merit any outburst from Rebekah. At least none that he could think of. Except…the quarterback. Surely his sister hadn't truly been enamored with that human.

Klaus turned back toward her, noting that Caroline and Stefan were sitting on one of the couches, catching up on whatever details Stefan knew. "Matt," Rebekah replied, her voice taking on a high pitched quality to it. "I don't care what you did to the others. But why him? What was the point? He was human. No matter to you."

He'd known it would come out eventually. Had considered telling Caroline right away when he'd reunited with Kol and her, but never quite got around to it. Klaus knew she wouldn't take it well. "I did what had to be done," Klaus stated, purposefully not looking toward the blonde on the couch who seemed to choke as she realized what must have happened.

"You bastard," Caroline shrieked, and no doubt would've been on him, hitting him with her hands except Stefan held her back.

"He killed Finn. His time on this Earth was limited anyway," Klaus replied, looking over at the two of them. "I should have taken care of him months ago."

There was no remorse because he felt none for having given the order for the boy to die. It was a means to an end. At least it had been rather quick. "He died with a friend," Klaus added, as if that meant something and sat down on one of the chairs, looking over at Rebekah. "Don't look so surprised, Rebekah. Didn't you plan on killing him at mother's ball? Nearly did when he and Elena went into the lake?"

"Because I was avenging  _you_ ," she shrieked, and Klaus shrugged, shaking his head at her theatrics.

"Semantics," Klaus replied, waving her off. He would not look toward Caroline, did not want to see the anger, the sadness he knew would be there. "He was collateral damage." Perhaps that hadn't been the best phrase to use considering his company but it was the truth. "It happens."

"You're heartless," Rebekah muttered, trembling with barely contained fury. She walked out of the room before anyone could respond.

With her gone, Klaus could hear Caroline's small sobs more clearly, Stefan's words that were meant to be comforting, but he wouldn't look toward them. Was he holding her again? Brushing his fingers through her hair, rubbing soothing circles against her back? Things he had wanted to do only hours before when she had woken from her torturous nightmare. He would have been denied, yet Stefan was so easily accepted, wanted.

The ringing of a cell cut through the air, Stefan answering it a second later. "I'll be right over there," the vampire promised, and Klaus glanced over at Caroline when Stefan was across the room, listening to the call.

She was hugging one of the decorative pillows, legs pulled up and trying to control her tears. "Do you honestly think Kol would have been okay with any survivors?" Klaus began, his voice low and Caroline looked over at him, her eyes narrowed.

"Don't you  _dare_ say you killed Matt to protect me," she hissed, shaking her head as he cocked his in answer.

"He was a loose end. One I was more than happy to dispose of," Klaus continued, knowing he wasn't helping his situation but he couldn't seem to stop talking. "Just as I did today. Just as I will again and again, sweetheart."

Caroline shook her head, hugging the pillow tighter even as she continued to glare at him. He could almost taste her rage mixed with horror and that was one thing that he enjoyed about her. No matter how terrified she might have been in the moment, she seemed to always try and keep her head held high when facing him.

"The way that you show you care sucks," Caroline muttered, looking away from him, body trembling with emotion. He couldn't quite tell which was winning out in that moment.

"If I remember correctly you're the people person, not me," Klaus reminded, throwing her own words back at her, entirely too amused with himself. She simply scoffed, hugging the pillow tighter and he hated it, wanting her to look at him, for her focus to be on him. He didn't care in that moment if the attention was positive or not. "I am who I am, Caroline."

She didn't answer and he leaned forward, trying to come up with something else to say, another way to goad her into responding. Where was the fight? Where was the constant conversation that seemed to always spill forth from her? He needed to rectify it.

"I have some updates," Stefan said, walking back over to them before Klaus could say another word. From Stefan's tone Klaus could tell they wouldn't be updates that were of any importance to him. He wasn't about to leave the two alone though. "One, Elena apparently snapped Damon's neck…"

"Score one for Elena," murmured Caroline before she looked up at Stefan, shrugging slightly. "Sorry."

Stefan sat down beside her. "Snapped his neck and then left. No one knows where she is and considering her mental state…"

"Gee, I wonder why she's an emotional wreck," Caroline bit out, glaring at Klaus again, and he waved his hand, nonplussed by the display.

"Your mom was there when Elena lost it. Apparently Elena sent her flying across the room," Stefan continued, and Klaus watched as Caroline tensed, fear seeming to engulf her. He watched, fascinated by her reaction.

Once upon a time he had loved his mother. There was a time he believed she may have cared for him as well. But a thousand years and one successful kill on his part, a few attempted killings on her part later, and he had nothing but ill will toward the woman who had given birth to him. He watched Caroline freeze up, the way she seemed to curl inward, waiting for a final blow that she didn't wish to come.

"She's okay," Stefan told her, and just like that Caroline seemed to deflate, grabbing onto Stefan's arms to steady herself. Klaus' eyes narrowed at the contact. "She's just in the hospital for observation because of a concussion but she's okay."

"Lead with that next time." Caroline hit Stefan on the arm, sighing.

"Sorry," he apologized and Klaus leaned back in his chair, watching the two interact with such ease. It was maddening. He would not let it continue.

He never got a chance to say or do anything, the drapes hanging against the window suddenly bursting into flames. The three of them were out of their seats in an instant, Klaus at Caroline's side before the other two could blink. He grabbed hold of her arm, ready to flee from the room when Rebekah opened the door to the balcony, nearly peeking back inside, entirely too close to the flames for his comfort. "Get down to the street," Klaus ordered, pulling Caroline with him as flames appeared on the walls, quickly engulfing them.

This had witchcraft written all over it and he had a feeling that the longer they stood around waiting, the worse it would get. Without another word, Klaus tightened his grip on Caroline and flashed them out of the room and over the hotel wall, landing easily on the street below. He steadied Caroline as she landed beside him, her gaze darting back and forth.

"What about Stefan?"

"I'm sure Ripper was able to get himself out just fine, Caroline," Klaus replied, never letting go of her arm as he led her away from the hotel. Smoke billowed out of the balcony, flames beginning to catch onto other parts of it. No doubt there would be a loss of life but as long as it was none of theirs he hardly cared.

Klaus fished his phone out of his pocket, quickly dialing Kol to let him know not to return to the hotel or get out if he was on his way up. He could see Rebekah heading toward him through the crowd that was gathering to watch the spectacle. "What the hell was that?" she demanded, looking around. "And where is Stefan?"

"Right here," Stefan replied, pushing his way toward the three of them. "It's already in the hallway."

Caroline moved to go to him, but Klaus kept a tight grip on her arm, not letting her move from his side. She glowered at him, trying to yank her arm away but it was useless.

"To answer your question, Rebekah, I believe that's a sign that our stay here has come to an end and it's time to move onto the next task," Klaus informed them, sending off another text to Kol. He put his phone away and looked at Caroline. "Where is your father's ex living?"

She pressed her lips together, glaring at him. "While I'm usually quite a fan of it, now is not the time for your stubbornness, sweetheart," Klaus told her. "If those who tried to burn us alive have an inkling of the knowledge he might possess what do you think they'll do to him?"

"Maybe it'll be better than what you'll do to him," Caroline countered, and Klaus cocked his head to the side, looking down at her.

"I won't harm a hair on him," Klaus replied, and she scoffed at that, clearly not believing it. "What do I need to do for you to believe that?"

"Oh bloody hell, Nik," Rebekah grumbled, pushing at Caroline so that she could clearly see into her eyes. Klaus shoved Rebekah back, pushing Caroline behind him.

"There will be no compelling her." His tone left no room for argument, eyes narrowing dangerously as he watched Rebekah step backward.

"The way you let her speak to you," Rebekah muttered, glancing at Caroline. "I don't see the appeal. Just do what you want with her and be done with it. This little dance you two do has become rather annoying and clouding your judgment. If it was anyone else you would have forced the knowledge out of them without hesitation."

"Rebekah," Stefan murmured, clearly not liking what she was saying or what it might mean for Caroline.

Klaus narrowed his eyes at his sister. He couldn't discount it. If it had been anyone else, he would already have the answer to his question. There would be no bargaining, no trying to assuage her fears. This wouldn't do. He turned toward Caroline who held her head up, though he saw the flicker of fear in her gaze, no doubt thinking he was about to compel her. It was something he swore to himself he wouldn't do to her. That he would always take only what she would give, even if he had to keep pushing for her to give him more.

He had been ready to, but that tiny step back that she took when he turned, the slight tremor in her clenched fists had Klaus changing his move. "Either you tell me what I need to know or I will head back to Virginia and get that information from the only other person I can say for certain would have an idea of where he might be. And considering she's in the hospital already I don't think she'd do all that well with my method of questioning."

Klaus easily caught one fist and then the other, easily trapping her against his chest once again. "You have five seconds to tell me before I make good on my word," he hissed in her ear, refusing to back down on this one.

Stefan was saying his name, Rebekah telling Stefan to shut up, and fire engine sirens rang in the distance. "Arlington," Caroline growled, struggling in his grip. "Arlington, Virginia."

"Now that wasn't too hard," Klaus murmured, resting his chin on top of her head, still holding her tightly against him.

"Did I miss all the fun?" Kol asked, popping up next to Stefan and Rebekah. "Oh, are we enjoying the lover's embrace that's happening now? Even has a bit of candlelight to set the mood." He waved his arm toward the hotel before leaning against Rebekah. "Bit over the top. But our brother was never one to do anything halfway."

Rebekah shoved her elbow into his side and Kol laughed, letting go of her. "I got us a new car. I hear it's called an SUV. Has a TV that flips down. I call controlling that," Kol told them. "Don't really see the point in standing around here any longer."

He turned on his heel, heading off into the crowd and Rebekah shoved Stefan ahead of her to follow after him. Klaus finally released Caroline who pushed him away from her. "If you  _ever_ threaten my mother again," she started, her gaze hardening. "I'll stake myself. Then we'll see exactly how you're going to get whatever the hell it is you want from me if I'm nothing but ash."

She turned away, heading off after the others and Klaus was left speechless for a moment, staring at the place she had been a moment ago. He didn't doubt her threat, knew with the certainty that had been in her eyes that she would make good on her word. It rankled him to no end, rage building in him at the very thought of the scenario playing out, at her using her own life against him. That would not do at all.

He stalked off toward where the others were, narrowing his eyes at finding them all already situated in the large vehicle. It seemed he was to be the driver, Kol and Stefan sitting on the seats behind the driver and passenger seat that Rebekah was occupying. Caroline was tucked all the way in the back, her gaze fixed on the window.

Rebekah reached over to touch the radio and Klaus punch his hand into it, destroying the system. "Buckle up," Klaus groused, ignoring his sister's indignant cry and Kol's yammering.

He adjusted the rearview mirror, noting the start of Stefan's brooding before he looked once again at Caroline who continued to stare at the window. It was going to be a long drive.

 


	7. Chapter 7

_As I cannot be the hero, let me be the monster, and lesson them in fear in place of love.- George R. R. Martin_

* * *

In theory a sixteen hour drive didn't seem like it would be that long, but considering who all was inside the SUV and the tension that seemed to be radiating off of most of the passengers, it was a wonder that they had made it to the halfway point. Even more amazing was the fact that everyone still had all of their limbs attached.

Stefan had always thought he had a complicated relationship with his brother, but watching the Mikaelson siblings interact seemed to give new meaning to the word dysfunctional. If they weren't threatening to drive something into one another over the littlest thing they were bickering over it. That usually led to the threats, a few of which had been carried out.

He didn't really care about them though, figuring it all must have been the usual chaos of having the three in such tight quarters. His concern was directed toward the blonde sitting in the back who hadn't uttered a word since they had gotten into the car. She hadn't exited the vehicle after they stopped for gas the first time, ignoring anyone who tried to talk her out of the car. Except for when Klaus did it. He'd gotten a rather venomous glare that Stefan had been particularly proud of seeing her don, even if it did seem to make the Hybrid more volatile than he'd been prior.

There hadn't been an opportunity for him to talk to her, not with the others being around. When she hadn't gotten out of the car, Klaus had shoved him toward the store to go pick up some things. Looked like the Hybrid didn't want them to be alone together. Stefan had a feeling it wasn't because he thought they'd be plotting against him. He'd seen the way Klaus had watched them back in the hotel room when they had hugged, felt Rebekah's anger and jealousy over the embrace as well.

He couldn't help but think of how sad it was that they felt that way about something so innocent. It'd merely been friends comforting one another after everything that had happened, wanting to make sure the other was as okay as they could be considering the circumstances. But friendship seemed to be something none of the Originals quite understood, though some were worse at it than others.

"We need to stop," Rebekah demanded, fiddling with the air conditioning vents for the hundredth time.

"I agree with Rebekah," Kol replied, leaning forward against the armrest between Klaus and their sister. "I've beaten the two games I bought. I need another one."

"And I need new magazines." Rebekah dropped her latest onto the floor beside the others. "The fashion tips in these ones are atrocious."

Stefan leaned back, waiting for Klaus' response. "Or I could snap both of your necks and enjoy the silence our other two companions offer us," Klaus informed them, his hands tightening on the steering wheel.

"Stefan is probably brooding and I think Caroline is giving you the silent treatment," Rebekah pointed out, glancing over her shoulder toward them. "I quite like it. Less chance of her voice becoming so grating."

"I quite like her voice. Much better than your shrieking one. I bet it's quite something when she's moaning out in pleasure. Right, Nik?" Kol started, and Stefan watched the steering wheel bend in Klaus' grip as he tried not to rise to the bait. "Oh wait; you've never experienced that with her."

"Must we talk about that?" Rebekah groaned, flicking the dials again.

"Shall we talk about your lack of one then, dear sister?" Kol commented, picking up one of the magazines and beginning to flip through it. "Humans are unable to do a great number of these sexual positions in this magazine. At least not without a great deal of pain, most likely ending in death. Which tickles my fancy just fine. What else have I missed out on?" He glared at Klaus before looking back at the magazine, flipping to another page. "What rubbish are you reading, Bekah?"

"It's all the rage at school," Rebekah huffed, trying to grab the magazine back from him.

"I think we need to pick up something educational for our sister, Nik. I think I saw a children's book of games and mazes. Perhaps she could learn something useful from that." Kol happily kept the magazine out of her reach which only seemed to infuriate her more, having her lunge for it as best she could while being strapped into the front passenger seat.

"We're not stopping until we need gas again," Klaus informed them, the strain for control in his voice very obvious. "Though I would be happy to drop both of you off right now and you can meet us in Virginia."

"And miss out on all the fun of a family drive? Never," Kol replied, tossing the magazine behind him and giving Rebekah a bright smile. It only widened when she pressed her lips together, letting out a high pitched scream of frustration. He looked over at Stefan who was trying to stare out the window again, working on ignoring the rest of them, focusing on Caroline's reflection. "And to think you once found that attractive."

"Shut it, Kol," Rebekah growled, throwing her empty cup at his head.

"She's such a charmer," Kol continued, easily dodging the cup.

"Enough," Klaus demanded, his voice harsh and demanding obedience.

Rebekah scoffed and crossed her arms, though she didn't make another sound after that. "You're no fun anymore, Nik," Kol muttered, but flicked the television back on above him, turning his attention back to the game as he plugged the headphones back into the outlet. It seemed he didn't feel like pushing any more buttons for a bit.

Stefan wondered what had gotten the Original to cease with his banter, he seemed to enjoy riling the other two up, especially Klaus, but something in the Hybrid's tone had gotten him to halt for at least the time being. Silence fell over the car, Rebekah reading one of the magazines again, Stefan silently watching Caroline's reflection, noting that Klaus was casting looks back in her direction every so often as he drove. And Caroline simply sat with her forehead pressed against the window, still ignoring them.

"I'm hungry," she murmured after some time had passed, the car swerving to the right for a brief second at Klaus startled over the fact that she had spoken.

"Oh look, she speaks," Rebekah muttered, flicking another page. "Should have gotten something when we stopped last instead of sulking in the car."

"What would you like to eat?" Klaus asked, looking back at her in the rearview mirror. "We'll stop at the next place that I see is open."

"You  _cannot_ be serious," Rebekah demanded, and Stefan tried to refrain from smiling at her indignation. "What happened to us not stopping until we need gas again?"

Caroline didn't reply at all, back in the position she had been since they got into the car, and Rebekah huffed and hawed as Klaus ignored her mutterings, looking for signs of civilization. Stefan glanced over at Kol who was grinning, clearly amused by the situation. He really didn't want to understand how that Original's mind worked.

Half an hour later, Klaus pulled into a gas station, looking over at Rebekah as he parked the car by one of the pumps. "There, Rebekah, you can make sure we're topped off," he told her before getting out of the car.

Stefan climbed out as well, not wanting to see Rebekah's fit over that, even if there was no way he could avoid hearing it. Kol piled out behind him, heading toward the convenience store. To his surprise, Caroline exited as well.

"Oh my, Sleeping Beauty dares to grace us with her presence," Rebekah stated as she got out, rounding the car to start filling it up.

Stefan stepped toward Caroline, wanting to talk to her, but was unsurprised when Klaus slid up next to her, motioning toward the store. "I'm certain you'll be able to find something to whet your appetite," Klaus told her, offering up a charming smile. "Get whatever you'd like."

Caroline simply glared at him for a moment, before making a noise of disgust as she walked away. Klaus narrowed his eyes as he watched her walk, clearly unamused with the situation, clenching and unclenching his fists as she headed into the store. "What did you expect? For her to be jumping up and down at what you did?" Stefan asked, trying not to take a step back when Klaus looked at him. If looks could kill…

"I was protecting her." Klaus looked back at the building and Stefan shook his head. Of course that was all the Hybrid saw he had done. Really didn't surprise him in the least.

"By killing two of her friend's. And you threatened her mom," Stefan pointed out. "I think the latter actually was more of an offense to her, but the other two definitely didn't win you any bonus points."

"Thank you for your unneeded assessment of the situation, Stefan," Klaus bit out before walking away from him as well, heading into the store.

Stefan nearly followed, wanting to keep an eye on Caroline, worried about what the Original brothers might do, but Rebekah was already in his path, blocking him. "I don't think she needs any other white knights heading after her," Rebekah told him, and Stefan arched a brow at that, stepping around her.

"Jealousy really doesn't look good on you," he murmured and headed toward the store. "Especially the unwarranted kind." He was inside before she could answer; intent on not giving her any more of reaction no matter how she acted in response. There was no muttering of words, nothing at all from the other blond, and he looked back out of the door. Rebekah was staring down at the ground, shoulders slumping in something akin to defeat. He watched a small shudder wrack through her body before she straightened herself up, cold exterior once again snapping in place as she stalked back to finish pumping gas into the car.

Was that guilt that he was feeling?

He didn't have time to assess those feelings though, attention snapping to the front counter where Kol was placing on more snacks and magazines than was needed, chatting up the clerk who seemed to be eating up the attention. Stefan shifted his gaze around the store, searching out Caroline who he found in an aisle, picking out some chips. Klaus was at the end of the aisle, watching her, but not approaching. It was almost comical if not for the fact Stefan worried the Hybrid would eventually snap and pry her heart out of her chest in annoyance one day.

There was a thud and Stefan looked over, seeing Kol on the other side of the counter, wiping blood from his chin as Klaus came rounding up toward him. "I was hungry," Kol grinned, hopping back over the counter and grabbing up his snacks.

"Get in the car," Klaus ordered, looking as though he was ready to throttle his younger brother.

"Like you weren't thinking of doing it." Kol glanced over at Caroline who stood clutching her bag of chips to her chest, though he grinned at her, obviously enjoying what he saw. "That's a very pretty face you have, darling."

Stefan looked over at her as well, watching her try to reel back her vampire features, working on her breathing technique. He had a feeling she was reacting to the blood and wondered when she had last fed. Caroline flashed past all of them, heading into the car and curling back up on the backseat before any of them could say a word to her. "Stefan, deal with the security cameras. We need to destroy that footage," Klaus directed, picking up the bag of chips Caroline had dropped on the ground in her haste. He couldn't hear a heartbeat and that was a good enough assessment that the clerk was dead.

Stefan did as asked, knowing they didn't need their faces plastered on the news for murder. It wouldn't help them keep a low profile. Though it seemed that being with Kol made that a constant challenge anyway. Deleting the last few hours of footage and disabling the security system took almost no time and he headed back out, noting the cash register drawer had been pulled open and that no money remained inside. No doubt to help it look like a robbery.

Rebekah was already in the car flipping through a new magazine though now in the space Stefan had been riding in before, Kol was hooked into his headphones again, and Caroline was still curled up in the back, the bag of chips sitting beside her on the seat. Stefan got into the passenger's side, sitting up front by Klaus who peeled out of the station before he even got his seatbelt on.

Stefan sighed and buckled up, not looking forward to the next few hours in the car. He could only imagine what it would be like once they arrived in Arlington.

* * *

It was a simple plan. Gather others who hated Klaus, who'd lost out on family because of the man. Really, he could have gone to a number of places and probably found countless victims of the Hybrid's but Tyler had stuck to the ones who personally meant something to him. He figured it would help sell what he wanted to do, what he was getting them involved in if he could relate personally to each of them.

So he focused on the hybrids. His pack. He knew the last fifteen that had survived better than the others, especially those who had died unsired, but he had felt a kinship to every single one of them. He had a list of every hybrid he knew Klaus had sired, with their last known addresses or at least the state if he couldn't get that detailed. The hybrids hadn't been part of packs a lot of the time but there had always been someone they talked about. That person who they'd left behind when they were turned and the gene ran in families so he figured someone must be missing them. And Tyler felt that those people deserved to know what had happened to their loved ones. He also thought maybe some of those people would want revenge just like he did. Not to mention the chance to get their loved ones back.

Tyler had started in Portland, knowing there had been a pack there, but quickly learned that the one that had been there the year before had already moved on, not wanting to stick around in case Klaus returned looking for more werewolves to sire. His trip there had been cut short by Mikael's arrival and with everything that had happened in Mystic Falls since that time, Tyler knew the Hybrid hadn't ventured toward the West Coast again. He eventually located the pack up in Washington, camping out in Olympic National Park.

They knew he was different the moment he stepped out of the car he'd acquired, every single one of them tensing and warily watching him. Some looked ready to fight. Others looked ready to flee as fast as they could.

"Your kind ain't welcome here." Tyler couldn't be sure who yelled it, but he couldn't hold back his cringe at the words. There was a time when he'd have been welcomed with open arms. Like he had been by Jules' pack, but that seemed like a lifetime ago after everything that had happened. Now he wasn't a werewolf, nor was he a vampire. It was like living and yet not living in two worlds at once.

He hated it.

"Dean was a friend of mine," Tyler started, holding his hands up and not moving toward them. He wanted their trust, didn't want to frighten them. "So was Nate." Two he knew had come from the Portland area and who'd had their lives ended earlier than they should have been. There was a chance that someone knew one of them and if not, they should at least know about Klaus.

"Was?" one called out, another trying to stifle a sob at the news. "That mean what I think it does?"

Tyler nodded, taking one step forward and another when the wolves didn't attack or run. "Yeah, they were slaughtered. By Klaus." He couldn't help the venom in his voice when he said the Hybrid's name.

"Knew that monster wasn't going to be helping them any," one of the men closer to him muttered. "We told them boys."

Tyler knew that some of the hybrids had wanted the change, had willingly walked into it after learning they'd no longer be beholden to the moon. Others had gotten it forced upon them, just like him, never really getting the choice. None of them realized exactly what it all entailed with the sire bond.

"Is he coming here?" someone called out, and Tyler could practically smell the fear radiating off the group at that suggestion.

Just the thought of Klaus could inspire so much fear and it made Tyler sick. How one man could have that much power, could rip apart families with such ease. It was  _wrong_ , it was  _sick_. He needed to be stopped. Looking at these terrified faces only reiterated that belief.

"No. He can't make any more hybrids," Tyler assured. Well, not unless Klaus got the cure. But he meant to make certain that never happened. He would destroy it if he had to. The others would understand, and even if they didn't, that wouldn't stop him. Klaus wasn't allowed to rip apart anymore families like he had, to use werewolves as his own personal, expendable army. Not if Tyler had a say and considering what Jules and Mason had told him and showed him, he was going to have one.

Relief swept through the group at that revelation and they started back doing what they had been working on before he had driven up to see them.

"What if I told you that I could get them back? And that we could stop Klaus once and for all?" Tyler asked, watching the faces of the others, trying to gauge their reaction. Most turned away, not wanting any part in what he was selling, but a handful of them stepped forward.

"Nate was my brother," one told him.

"Dean was my best friend," another replied.

"What exactly do we need to do?" one more asked.

Tyler grinned, nodding toward the roaring fire in the middle of the campground. "Why don't we go sit down and I'll fill you in on everything."

* * *

Getting out of the car only to head to the hotel was not exactly what Rebekah wanted to do. Their confinement had only increased in size and being saddled with the other four for any more length of time seemed like a rather tortuous punishment. One that she could not think up a reason for her to suffer. Kol's little bards were beyond grating, as was Klaus' constant glances toward the annoying little cheerleader he continued to pick over. Even Stefan's presence was getting on her last nerve.

"I do not care what the rest of you are off to do. I am going to go soak in that lovely marble tub and if any of you disturb me I'll make sure a piece of it ends up in your heart." It wouldn't kill any of them but it would hurt and it'd make her feel infinitely better.

She turned on her heel, already heading in the direction of the master bath and trying to ignore anything Kol would add. She knew he would. He never could hold back with his little comments.

"Rebekah," Klaus started, and she stopped, turning to look at him. He looked as though he was going to chastise her decision and she was not about to allow that. Not this time. Not after the bastard had daggered her again and left her to lie in the tunnels. From what she'd gotten out of Kol, neither he nor Elijah had known what had happened.  _Typical._

"I have nothing to say to you right now," she replied, turning on her heel again, pushing her way past Stefan who seemed about to say something as well, but didn't.  _Coward._  Not that she probably even wanted to know what might have come out of his mouth.

"While our sister wastes her time playing in the bathtub, I'm going out," Kol remarked, and Rebekah closed the bathroom door, not giving a damn where he was headed in that moment.

Kol would leave and cause chaos somewhere for a few hours while Klaus and Stefan fawned over Caroline. That was just fine by her. She'd sit in the bathtub and mull over her plans for the cure. To stop Silas's rise they would no doubt have to go to wherever he was currently residing and if the rest of the information she had been told was correct then the cure would be there as well. It should be simple enough to abscond with it while the others completed their own tasks.

Maybe it was just a fleeting idea, to end her infinite existence. To actually have a chance to grow old, to marry and have children and finally die. She wasn't so sure about the dying part but she did want the rest of it. Or at least she thought she did, she wanted the chance to be able to have it. One that had been torn from her because of her parents' fear. There were other ways to get the same kind of chance, ones where she wouldn't have to give up her immortality for a more human life, but she was currently fixated on this one.  _Wanted_ this one, and why did it have to be denied to her?

If they could stop Silas and keep the Mikaelson parents from ever leaving the Other Side and the cure remained intact then shouldn't she get the chance to take it if she wanted? Not that she was about to tell any of the others that fact. She had an idea of what her brothers' reaction would be and it wasn't anything pretty. But she was over a thousand years old, wasn't it about time she was allowed to make her own decisions without their added quips and jibs?

She picked her cell up from where she had laid it near the bath, listening to see who had stuck around and from the multiple voices she could hear knew that a phone conversation wouldn't be plausible. Not with how easy it was to eavesdrop. A text would have to do.

Rebekah: I need you to do some digging for me.

April: What do you need? Are you alright? :(

Rebekah: I'm perfectly fine.

Rebekah: See if you can locate any of that professor's work. Anything related to the Silas myth.

April: I can do that. :)

Rebekah: Thank you, April. Let me know what you find ASAP.

April: TTYS :)

Rebekah erased the messages and dropped the phone back on top of her clothes. That girl used entirely too many smiley faces, but she was the only one who hadn't stabbed her in the back, who had actually removed the dagger from her, and that had to mean something. Even if she could be fairly irritating.

This friendship thing was a lot harder than it seemed.

It wasn't like servants or compelling people to do her bidding. That she excelled at, having servant girls who followed her every whim, companions who listened intently because she wanted them to was easy enough. But genuine friendship like she had watched the Mystic Falls gang have with one another was like a foreign language she had yet to master, one she didn't quite know the nuances to and continued to mix up something polite with a motion that meant something vulgar instead. It was draining the changes that had occurred while she had been in that coffin. The camaraderie between everyone seemed to have altered, what she had known to be the norm less than a hundred years ago was now a thing of the past and nowhere near in style any longer.

It was maddening and she hated her brother for taking those years from her, even if a small part of her understood why he had done so. His twisted belief that he was keeping them safe by keeping them with him, so easy to cart around out of their father's reach. She had been the one who never left his side and she knew that her saying she wanted to be with Stefan was something Klaus hadn't been able to handle. Not with Mikael right on their table.

He hadn't been the first Rebekah had wanted to run away with, there had been others, but Stefan had been the last straw after everything else that had happened that year. Elijah leaving the group, Kol's daggering, she had been the last sibling at Klaus' side.

Rebekah leaned back in the tub, staring up at the ceiling. But there would be no more thoughts about Klaus or any of it. She wanted to relax and thinking about him would never allow that to happen.

* * *

Elena glanced around the college bar, keeping an eye out for the young man that she was supposed to find. She didn't know why she was so adamant about doing so, why she knew she needed to complete this task above anything else. It was all that mattered any more, doing what had been so neatly laid out in her mind. She couldn't seem to deviate from it and unlike with the sire bond her mind never even tried to do so. There were no flashes of remembering something else, only for her brain to work itself out to fit into the boxes it had been told to make work for her now.

This was different.

All she had now were the plans that continuously rolled over in her head. There was no deviating from them, no caring about anything except completing them. She didn't get any satisfaction from doing so, but there was no fear either. No sorrow. No complete and utter devastation that she had lost the last remaining member of her family. Nothing but the need to follow through with her task. It would have been peaceful if she'd been able to feel anything close to that emotion.

It was easy enough to find her target, and she slid over on the bar beside the guy, smiling playfully at him. He arched a brow at his friend before turning all of his attention over to her, his gaze dropping down to her chest and then back up to her eyes. Nothing at all subtle about the motion.

Elena didn't hesitate, scooting in a little so she could lock her gaze with his. "Do exactly what I say. Take me home," she compelled, though from the way he had been looking her over, practically salivating at the idea of what she must look like under her jeans and low-cut top, she had a feeling she might not have needed to resort to that.

Ah well. It made everything easier if he followed her directions.

He slid off the stool and she followed after him, ignoring the few cheers let loose from his friends as they exited the bar together. Once they got to the dorm, she easily played into the part of a random hookup, kissing him hard as she pushed him up against the door.

After some fumbling with the keys, the boy eventually got it open and they stumbled inside. Elena closed the door behind them, letting her fangs drop down as he turned to set the keys down on the table beside it. "Don't scream."

He didn't, compulsion not allowing it, though she could taste his fear, see it in his eyes as he looked back at her. She pounced, tearing into his throat and drinking her fill of him. She didn't kill him though, biting into her wrist once she felt his heartbeat weaken considerably. She pushed it against his mouth, forcing her blood down his throat.

The wounds to his neck were already healing and she pulled back, licking her lips as she watched him stare at her in horror, trying to figure out what was happening. Elena smiled at him, and then reached out, quickly breaking his neck. He fell onto the floor, reminding her of an old rag doll she'd once had as a little girl. It had flopped down onto the floor just like he did.

"Now we'll just wait for your roommate to get here," she murmured, stepping over his body and sitting down on the couch before turning on the television.

Inside somewhere she must have been screaming, hating everything that she was doing, what she was becoming. But she didn't feel any guilt. She didn't feel anything in that moment except a need to continue to carry out the design.

Hours passed and eventually the boy woke up, pushing up off the ground and rubbing his neck, uncertain what had happened. He nearly screamed as he looked at her but she was off the seat in seconds, pressing him to the wall, hand clasped over his mouth, as the key turned in the lock. Looked like the roommate was home.

"Oh, jeeze, John. I didn't know you had…" his roommate stumbled as he walked into the dorm, seeing the two of them pressed against the wall.

John was in transition, not quite a vampire yet, and Elena had months on him in regards to her own strength, holding him easily in place. She let him go as the roommate closed the door and pounced on the new young man even as John shouted, "Get the hell out of here, Eddie."

Elena easily caught Eddie, locking him into place against her as she bit into his wrist. The smell of blood erupted in the air and she could hear John's struggle over it, how tempting it was for him to drink it and complete the transition. She pulled Eddie to him, letting John drink some of the blood as the other boy cursed, wondering what was happening.

It didn't take much to do the trick and Elena pushed John off, letting him fall back to the wall as he fully turned, fangs descending and snapping at his roommate. "What the fuck is going on?" Eddie demanded, trying to get the hell away from him.

Elena slammed her hand into the table that held the keys, easily splintering it, and grabbed a piece of the wood, forcing it into Eddie's hand. She helped him swing it, effectively staking the newly turned John. Eddie screeched, dropping the wood and looking down at his dead friend, at her, and then at his right arm, his horror seeming to grow with each thing.

"What the fuck did you do?" he screamed, pulling at his hair, and she had a feeling he thought he was going mad. He probably was. "Where did this fucking tattoo come from?"

"The others will be here soon to explain everything," Elena told him and stepped back, wiping her hands on her pants. "My deed is done."

She flashed out of the room and away from the campus before he could say anything. It wasn't her task to help him through what he'd just become. She had other things to do to help Silas rise and she meant to see each of them through. Not that she really had a choice in the matter.

* * *

Caroline didn't budge from the passenger seat of the SUV, staring over at the townhouse that they were currently parked in front of. She hadn't visited it in over a year, but everything about it looked the same. Even the small sign letting people know the place had a security alarm was still lopsided in the middle of the lawn. Steven's car was in the driveway, but she didn't see any sign of his daughter's bike. That usually meant the girl was either at her mother's or at a friend's house for the night. Caroline hoped that was the case. She really didn't want to get that kid involved. She didn't want Steven involved either but there wasn't any way to talk Klaus or the others out of seeing him.

"We do need to exit the vehicle, love," Klaus started, and she nearly gave herself whiplash with how fast she turned her attention to him.

"I'm not leaving this car until you swear to me that you won't hurt him." She was adamant about that, crossing her arms and fixing her gaze with his own. She could see the internal battle going on inside of his head, no doubt wanting to lash out at her for even suggesting that he cater to her demands mixed with his apparent desire to not upset her.

" _Or_  I can go in there alone and get all that I want out of him by whatever means I deem necessary. All while you sulk in the car." Apparently lashing out was winning this time. "Though, I'm sure you'll exit it eventually. No doubt when his screams become a bit too much for you to handle."

She was fuming, hands now down in her lap, clenching her fists in her lap.

"Don't think that you can force my hand, Caroline," Klaus continued, and she looked away from him and back at the house, wishing Steven's car hadn't been there. That she could warn him to get the hell out and run as fast as possible, for him to hide somewhere that he'd never be found. But she didn't have her phone and she didn't know his phone number by heart. She wasn't even sure he had the same one anymore since her dad and he had apparently broken up before her dad's death.

"However," Klaus started, and she looked back at him, wondering what new blow he was going to unleash on her. She didn't like his smirk, the one that implied he knew he was about to win, that he was already counting his victory before it happened. "The chances of him walking away with his life do increase dramatically if you're in there with me." His hand ghosted up her arm, and she wrenched her body away from his, getting out of the car as fast as she could manage without drawing attention.

She didn't dare look at him when he joined her on the sidewalk, already imagining how amused he was by how masterfully he'd manipulated the situation. Caroline headed toward the front door, her annoyance only growing as Klaus walked in sync with her. "I'm guessing it's too much to hope you'll let me do the talking," Caroline grumbled as she knocked on the door.

"We can start your way," Klaus replied, and she wanted to strangle him for the amusement she heard in his voice as the door opened.

"Hey," Caroline started as she saw Steven. He looked a little older, a little balder, but it was still the guy who had helped her learn how to do basic maintenance on her car when she'd first got it. "Sorry for just dropping—"

Steven's features flicked from surprise to dark determination in a split second. She didn't even see where the stake came from that he lunged forward with, aiming for her heart. It never got anywhere close, Klaus grabbing the man's arm and twisting it. There was a snap as the bone broke, stake falling to the floor as Klaus pushed him up against the front of the house. "Wrong move, mate."

His forearm was pressing against Steven's neck and Caroline could hear him struggle to breath. She knew if Klaus kept it up that he'd snap his windpipe in seconds. "No! Stop!" she grabbed onto Klaus' arm, trying to pull him away. "You can't hurt him. Stop it."

"He nearly killed you." And she knew by Klaus' tone that was all that mattered to him in that moment. Gone was the fact that they were supposed to get answers or the fact that they could be seen by anyone at the moment. Admittedly no one else seemed to be out and about but that could change at any second.

"But he didn't." Caroline kept pulling at his arm. "Steven invite us inside, please. We need to talk to you. Remember?" She pushed at Klaus, trying to get him to release his hold. "He has information for us. We need him alive."

"I'm not inviting you anywhere," Steven told her, his voice hoarse as he attempted to struggle against Klaus. There was none of the warmth she was used to, even how he looked at her sent shivers down her spine. "I'll kill you both as soon as he lets go of me."

"It seems we'll be using my time tested methods of gathering information." Klaus leaned forward until he was a hair's breath away from Steven. "And your little stakes and vervain traps and anything else you're thinking of using won't do a lot against me. I don't believe we've been introduced but considering what Zelda said about your pastime, I'm sure you've heard of me. The name's Klaus."

Steven's eyes widened in horror, his breath hitching, and Caroline could smell the spike in fear, could see the sweat beading on his forehead. "I see you've heard of me."

And there was that damn smugness all over again.

"Now, be a good chap and let us in," Klaus compelled, but Steven continued to grab onto his arm trying to pry him off even though it was useless. "I see you can't be compelled at the moment. Pity."

Klaus moved his hand, drawing Steven toward him for a moment before striking the back of his neck. Caroline gasped as the man collapsed forward. "What did you do?"

Oh god oh god. Was he dead? He couldn't be dead. "He's perfectly fine, Caroline," Klaus told her as he lifted Steven up and turned to head back to the car. "He'll wake again in a bit and we'll be able to get all the information we need from him. Considering he most likely has vervain in his system it may take a tad bit longer than I'd like to get answers."

"What did you do?" she urged, following him toward the SUV. He placed Steven in the back of it and motioned for her to head back to her side of the car. She did as directed, glancing back at Steven as she buckled up.

"There are certain areas on the body that if pressed in a specific way can garner different types of reactions from the body. Such as knocking someone out," Klaus informed her as he started up the car. "He should be fine when he wakes, though I doubt he'll enjoy the circumstances."

"So we'll get our information and then we'll let him go."

Right? That seemed doable. Though she knew Klaus was right and maybe Steven did have vervain in his system. It was that or he had learned to fight off compulsion like her father had. She worried what Klaus would want to do to him if that was the case. If it was vervain then they'd need to bleed it out of him…but if he was able to fight the compulsion. Caroline didn't even want to imagine what would need to happen for Klaus to get his answers then.

"He did just try and stake you." Klaus' hands tightened on the steering wheel and Caroline thought it was a miracle that it was still usable considering the dents he'd put in it. At least he hadn't torn it out like he had the radio and eventually the television as well.

"I don't care. He has his biases right now because all he has probably ever seen is the monster side." Caroline looked over at Klaus. "And there's more to all of us than the fact that we're monsters, that we have to drink blood to survive and can snap him like a twig. Even you are more than just that." She looked away, not wanting to see his reaction to that particular admission of hers.

Caroline didn't want him to know she saw that he wasn't a completely awful person, but how could she deny that when he'd made so many attempts to show her all of the other facets to his personality. From the paintings to the charming gentleman to the offers of worldwide travel to simply being a wonderful conversationalist when they were alone together. She'd seen the glimpses of his humanity, knew it was in there. Klaus just ruined all of those instances by every other action he took, by half the words that came out of his mouth making her want to stab him.

Case in point, Tyler's mom. Matt. Jeremy.

"My mom despised what I was at first, she'd been brought up her whole life to fear and hate vampires, but she's seen that what she had learned wasn't exactly correct. And she loves me," she continued as they drove away from the house. "My father, tortured me to try and get me not to have the basic urges because he loved me and didn't want to kill me, and even he realized that we're not all bad. So I have faith that Steven can see that too. He might not have known me as long as my parents but he loved me like a daughter at one point."

She looked back over at Klaus, thankful that his gaze was fixed on the road. "And even if he doesn't, what does it matter if we let him go. We'll be long gone and I doubt we'll ever even see him again."

Klaus glanced over at her. "Don't be so naive, Caroline. He won't stop until he kills you."

"Not everyone is your father," Caroline snapped, knowing her words would hit a chord. She hoped it hurt.

"No," Klaus replied, his cold tone causing a chill to run up her spine. "This one will be far easier to kill. And you'll never have to experience what it's like to live a life on the run."

Seriously?! "I didn't ask you for your help."

"And I didn't ask for your ungrateful attitude but it seems we're both getting something we both don't want today," Klaus replied, steering the car into the turn lane.

Caroline dug her nails into her palm, trying to force back her biting replies. It wasn't worth it and she needed to save her energy and her thoughts for figuring out how to help Steven, not trading barbs with Klaus. "How exactly are you planning on getting him up to the hotel room? Or covering up his screams with whatever method of torture that I'm sure you're just dying to try out?" She couldn't help but cringe at her own question.

"Who said we're heading back there?" Klaus mused, and Caroline looked out the window, realizing that they were not headed that way at all. In fact they seemed to be going away from the more populated area of the city. "Though thank you for reminding me."

He pulled out his cell, dialing a number and Caroline sighed, trying to determine how she'd be able to free Steven if they ended up somewhere without crowds. The whole releasing him onto the streets so he could at least attempt to disappear into a large group of people was so not going to pan out. "Tell me the place you located is adequate, Kol." There was a pause as they both heard his brother respond, confirming what he wanted to know. "We'll be there soon."

He hung up and Caroline sunk into the seat, knowing she needed to come up with a damn good plan or Steven wouldn't be walking away with his life. And she couldn't stomach someone else she knew dying by Klaus' hand, especially not with his excuse that he was doing it to protect her.

* * *

Life went on in Mystic Falls, even with two teenage boys having died, three girls having disappeared, and while Liz at least knew who her daughter was with she didn't have a clue where Bonnie was or what exactly had happened to Elena. Stefan was gone as well and she had doled out the appropriate excuses to the school as to where all of them were, but actually seeing the world continue to spin while her own was once again falling apart was hard to stomach.

Shifts at the station weren't about to end and considering she was Sheriff, she still had quite a bit of tasks to dole out on a daily basis. For as small as Mystic Falls was, it sure did seem to have a lot of trouble every so often. Even with practically every known vampire out of the town, Liz didn't want to let down her guard. Something was going on. There had to be a reason for all of those dead bodies in the forest, for Jeremy and Matt, for the girls to be gone.

And then there was Carol's death. It was no accidental drowning like the rest of the town thought and while she had a feeling that Klaus had committed the murder, she couldn't say anything for certain considering everything that had happened afterward.

An interim mayor needed to be found and she had a number of people she needed to talk to about that, but her focus was drawn to the vampire standing beside her police cruiser as she exited the precinct. "Damon?"

Had he heard anything from the others? She hadn't talked to Caroline since that last call and she couldn't help but worry about her daughter. "I'm leaving town. Thought I'd let you know in case you turn up at the boarding house," he started, squinting in the sunlight.

"You have a lead?" Anything new on any of them? Because she definitely hadn't seen or heard anything.

"Not a thing, but I'm not going to wait around here when its obvious something is wrong with Elena." Damon shrugged, pushing off the car. "I'm going to find Bonnie. She can't have gotten that far and I'll get her to locate Elena."

"What about Caroline?" Who was going to help her?

"Your daughter will be fine, Liz." He nodded, almost like he was trying to force that statement to be true just by saying it. "Stefan's with her and Klaus. Well." He shrugged, and Liz shook her head. "I doubt he'll be disposing of her anytime soon."

"I know all about Klaus' weird fixation on my daughter and I don't think that guarantees her well-being." How could it? Didn't the guy go around daggering his own family? Hadn't he used Caroline as a bargaining chip once already? She didn't trust the Hybrid with Caroline's life.

"Like I said, Stefan is with her so she's already got back up," Damon told her, shrugging again. "My priority is Elena."

Liz watched him turn away, not surprised by his answer. She hoped he did find the girl and was able to help her out, but maybe it was time she made her daughter be her priority. Mystic Falls could cope without her for a little bit.

* * *

Klaus tightened the last knot, securing Steven in place. He almost hadn't gone with hanging the man by his arms, knowing that the already annoyed blonde would only be further angered by it, but Klaus wasn't about to hold back. Not after the man had tried to stake her, would have succeeded in doing so if he hadn't gone with her for answers. Caroline's naivety would be the death of her, especially in regards to the people she cared for.

How could she not see that having so many fall under the umbrella of family, of loved ones, was leaving her infinitely more vulnerable than she needed to be? That was why he had spent the last thousand years only allowing his siblings to fall into that category. If his father slaughtered the latest man or woman he was bedding it was nothing but an annoyance, something easily rectified in the next town they decided to run to. He'd allowed himself to feel for his horse once, to develop a strong bond with the creature and that was the only blow that had caused any emotional response.

Klaus hadn't wanted to bond again with another creature since that night, watching his father kill the animal all because it had been his, something he cherished and loved. He had tried once more with Stefan in the twenties, enjoying the other man's company greatly, but even that had been cut short and he'd done what he needed. Taking away the memories and keeping his new friend safe, daggering Rebekah when she couldn't see reason. Another reminder that Mikael would always be there to take from him anything that he cared for.

But Mikael was dead now and while that should have meant he was free to love again, a thousand years made that exceedingly difficult. His responses to people, to common events was far too engrained in his mind and body to be altered. At least not without a significant portion of time or reason to do so. Even now his response when he felt that his siblings would be a liability was to dagger them, to put them away where no harm could come to them, where he could control it so they would live to see another day. Just as he had done with Rebekah.

As he considered doing with Kol if the boy became too much of a risk. There was never any reasoning with him, no certainty to how his younger brother would react to any given situation, and that was something Klaus knew he would not tolerate for too long. That was why when Kol left for decades at a time to live his own life, to cut his own path of destruction, Klaus had rarely cared unless word of their father being near reached his ears. There was no Mikael now to chase them, to hunt them down and threaten death, but Klaus knew that there were other worries. Such as Mikael returning and never being able to die again.

He would not allow Kol's impulsiveness to accidentally set that into motion.

"Are we going to bleed him out?" Kol piped up, sitting down on a pile of lumber that was lying in the house. It was still under construction as were all the other houses within a five mile radius. The area was fenced off to ward off trespassers. That coupled with the lateness of the house, the chances of anyone stumbling across them were very slim. "It'd be the easiest way to get the vervain out of his system."

"If he even has any in him," Caroline muttered, and Klaus turned toward where she was pacing a few feet away.

"Have something to share with the class?" Klaus asked, arching a brow at her. It wouldn't surprise him in the slightest if she did.

"My dad couldn't be compelled," Caroline replied, trying to remember if she'd told them that before.

"Like our former pal. That professor fellow," Kol butted in, waving at her to continue. Klaus wouldn't put it past Kol to have already forgotten Shane's name.

"He learned how not to be during his travels. Not sure how, but if Steven went with him on those then pretty good chance he doesn't need vervain to fight off your orders," Caroline continued, and Klaus nodded, remembering her saying something about that before.

"Easy enough way to find out," he commented offhandedly, and stepped forward, biting into the man's neck. He pulled back as Caroline shrieked for him to stop, wiping the blood from his lips as he turned around to face her and Kol. "Seems he's not on vervain."

Kol was laughing, obviously enjoying the show, but Caroline glared at him for a long moment before she looked away. Her body was trembling and he could see the barely contained fury as her nails dug into her palms. "Oh don't look so scandalized, darling," Kol commented, striding over to her. "Nik's always been quite good at getting to the heart of the matter. In fact he's often been fond of stealing hearts. Plunging his fist right through the ribcage and pulling it out for all to see." He stopped in front of her. "Maybe he'll even teach you how to do it on your friend here."

"That's enough," Klaus warned, sensing her growing anger at the situation. "Why don't you head back and make sure Rebekah is behaving herself?"

"And let you be swayed into compassion by this one?" Kol cocked his head toward Caroline. "I don't think so."

A groan cut through the air, silencing the three of them and turning their attention to Steven who was slowly regaining consciousness. "Looks like the entertainment is about to begin," Kol grinned, nudging Caroline with his elbow. "Might want to get a little closer. Wouldn't want to miss any of the fun."

For a moment, Klaus was pleased her glare was directed at his brother, but that changed when she looked back at him, her eyes narrowing. She headed straight past him and toward the hanging man. Klaus grabbed her elbow, unwilling to let her near the man. He didn't care how secure he had made his bindings. "I want to talk to him," she groused as she attempted to yank her arm out of his grip.

"I think you'll find that your voice will carry just fine from this distance," he told her, refusing to budge on the issue. There would be no chances taken that night. Not if he could help it. He let go of her and strode forward in the same motion, heading to Steven before she was able to move. Klaus gripped Steven's chin, forcing the man's attention to be squarely on him. "Nice to see you back with us."

It took a moment for Steven to gather his bearings, to remember what had happened back at his house. The uncertainty quickly shifted to hatred mixed with a determination that Klaus could almost respect if he didn't find it so laughable. "What the hell do you want?" Steven demanded, pulling at the ropes that held him aloft.

"I was told you have information that I require," Klaus started, clasping his hands behind his back as he watched the man struggle in the bonds. "We could have done this the easy way. Invited us inside, had a little chat, but you chose to try and thrust a stake into Caroline's heart as soon as that door opened."

"That's what you do to monsters. You kill them so they can't kill anyone else," Steven replied, and Klaus heard the hitch in Caroline's breath, could almost picture the pain in her expression at having this person she had loved think of her in such a way.

He couldn't discount that it was partially true. The girl was a monster now, though not in the way that the man before him seemed to equate her as. Just as there were so many types of humans, all with their own morals, there were also just as many types of vampires. Klaus enjoyed the thrill of the kill, the ending of a life that he chose to take, and while he had an inkling that Caroline had enjoyed any kills she might have done because of her nature, that didn't erase the fact that she didn't purposefully go out to hunt others. Unlike he did. Or his siblings. Or countless others.

"And here I thought you too had been close once upon a time," Klaus commented, circling the man and taking note of where he would strike first.

Steven looked over at Caroline, locking his gaze with hers. "The Caroline I loved died the day she became a vampire," he spat, and Caroline crossed her arms at that.

Klaus wondered how many times she had heard something similar from her loved ones, how many times they had thrown such words at her and yet she still managed to build herself back up again and not fall down to their low expectations. "No, I didn't," she told him, taking a step forward but didn't approach any further at Klaus' look. "But this isn't about me. Or you. Or whatever you think of vampires because I don't care. I just want you to be able to leave here alive—"

"Fat chance of that happening," Kol called out, looking around the floor and randomly picking up various lengths of wood. He swung one, trying it out before dropping it to the ground with a small shrug.

"Shut up, Kol," Klaus and Caroline told him at the same time. Kol simply laughed, while Caroline smoothed her hair down, a reaction that Klaus had come to see was her trying to contain her emotions.

"You let me leave here alive and I won't rest until you're dead," Steven promised, and Caroline sucked in a breath at that. Klaus flexed his hand, wanting nothing more than to rip the man's heart from his chest at confirmation of what he'd do if released but there was information that they needed to get from him still. "Your father was a fool to think he could save you with conditioning. He should have staked you when he had the chance."

"Would you stake Krissy if she became a vampire?" Caroline asked, and Klaus knew she was trying to make him see reason but he also knew that fanatics like this so rarely did.

"Are you threatening my daughter?" Steven yelled, pulling harder at the ropes.

"This is becoming rather boring now, Nik," Kol sighed, giving another piece of timber a whirl. "Just find out what he knows about Silas and let me slaughter him."

"If anyone is going to kill this one it will be me, brother," Klaus told him, picturing a number of ways he would delight in torturing the man. Perhaps he would get Kol to bring Caroline back to the hotel so he could do so in peace.

"No one is slaughtering him!" Caroline yelled, throwing her arms up in exasperation.

"Silas?" Steven breathed out, his face paling considerably. "What do you know about him?"

Kol tapped the board on the ground before tossing it aside. "First immortal. Already waking and going to cause hell on earth unless we stop him." He looked over at Steven, picking up another piece of wood. "I know, can't quite believe we care about the state of the world, but it's rather hard to enjoy living if its chaos all the time. Need breaks every so often. And who would I snack on?"

"We need to find Sanai. Zelda, she said she knew you and that you know where Sanai is," Caroline continued, silence falling for a moment after she spoke.

Klaus stepped forward, watching Steven's facial muscles tense as he considered what to do with that information. From the struggle on the man's face it was obvious that he did know something, that he considered Silas to be something of a threat, but his hatred for what they were was warring with his need to help them.

"Last I heard she was with her coven in Amsterdam. But that was over a year ago," Steven finally admitted, the internal struggle still going on inside of him.

"Any way to contact her?" Kol asked, spinning a slender piece of wood in his hands.

"No." Steven shook his head. "She usually finds you."

"Then it looks like your helpfulness has run its course," Klaus told him, smiling maliciously. They could all smell Steven's fear spike, see the tension in his body as Klaus circled to stand in front of him.

"Klaus," Caroline protested, stepping forward and touching his arm. "Just let him go home. You won't do anything. Right, Steven?" She had to hope he wouldn't, wanted to trust that those days of playing tea party, all of the cheerleading competitions he'd been to, the shopping trips, and ice cream sundaes at two in the morning meant something. That he'd think of his own daughter and how she should have a father in her life. All he had to do was walk away. He could do that, couldn't he?

"I won't let you dishonor the girl that Caroline was," Steven told her, and Caroline stepped back at the hate in the man's eyes. She knew he meant it and she knew there wasn't any way she could save his life, not if Klaus thought he was truly a threat to her own.

"Don't do this," Caroline pleaded as Klaus turned around.

"You heard him, Caroline," he reminded her, reaching out to tuck a curl behind her ear. "He won't stop until he kills you." Which he found rather foolish of the man, but fanatics were never all that levelheaded when faced with something that could destroy their belief system.

"I don't want him to die because of me." That was the last thing she ever wanted. "If you do this I will…I'll..." She couldn't seem to get the words out. Her emotions were too heightened, anger mixed with grief.

"I will do what I must," Klaus told her.  _To keep you alive._  Why was he so adamant about that? How had she wormed herself into his mind, into his heart? It shouldn't have been possible. It wouldn't have been if Mikael had been alive. He'd had killed her long before Mikael would ever have been able to use these growing feelings against him. But Mikael wasn't an issue any longer and Klaus looked at Caroline and saw what his future could be, if only he could convince her to give him a chance.

Admittedly, killing another she was fond of was probably not going to help him in that endeavor. But she really did need to learn not to let so many into her heart.

"Take her back to the hotel, Kol."

"No," she tried to protest again but Kol had already latched onto her arm and sped them out of the building before she could say another word.

Klaus looked back at the hanging man, pondering how best to go about completing this task. Perhaps there was a way to ensure Caroline's survival and have her not hate him for one more thing.

"Tell me about this Krissy," he told the man, watching Steven tense considerably at the girl's name. Steven didn't respond. "I wonder does she have the same ability as you to withstand compulsion?" From the spike in the man's heart rate he took that as a no. "I think I'll go pay some lovely people in this town a visit. You'll never know who. You'll never know how close they'll ever be to that daughter of yours. But if you ever lay a finger on Caroline, if you ever attempt to end her life again, I will make one single call and your daughter will be left on your front porch, hanging from her entrails."

There it was, that release of bodily fluids as the fear became too much. Amazing what the love of a child could do to ensure the compliance of some men. That bond was extraordinary at times. Though he had never experienced it, Klaus was apt at using it against others.

He cut one of the ropes, letting Steven fall a bit and tossed the knife so it would be within the man's reach. At least it would be if he worked for it a bit. "I believe you can see yourself out," Klaus grinned and stepped back. "I'd say I can't wait to see you again but I believe for your daughter's sake, that you don't ever want that to happen."

Klaus left, not bothering to wait for a response and he flashed to the hotel. He hadn't even stepped foot into the suite when he was accosted by Caroline. It was easy enough to grab hold of her wrists and stop her from landing any of her punches. "I hate you," she seethed, the anger radiating off of her, her vampire features showing.

He was quite taken by those, the snarl of her lips as she hissed at him, blood pumping in her face and he felt his own fangs slide down in reaction to her. "That was quick," Kol commented from the couch. "Stefan and Rebekah appear to be out. I was going to go get a bite to eat, but I don't know. Staying in might be entirely more entertaining."

"I let him go," Klaus told her, ignoring Kol who tsked at that. Caroline looked up at him, eyes wide with disbelief and was that relief? He thought it might be.

"Going soft, Nik? How pathetically sad," his brother sighed, pushing up off the couch.

"Also threatened to leave his daughter on his porch if he takes a step toward you, but you can't blame me for a little insurance," Klaus continued, and Caroline wrenched her hands from his grip as Kol laughed.

"That's the spirit!" Kol clapped his shoulder as he walked past. "I will be getting that bite to eat. Want me to bring you back a snack? Or are you going to devour the tasty little blonde?"

"Leave," Klaus growled, glaring at his brother's mischievous smirk as he left the suite. Caroline was still seething, muttering under her breath and Klaus turned his attention back to her. "I let him go."

"And threatened his daughter!" she protested, looking at him as though he'd lost his mind if he thought that was a good option.

"I was not about to let him walk away after his threats," Klaus told her, crossing his arms as he watched her. "Ones that you know full well he could easily make good on. What would you have me do, Caroline? Let him go and wait around for the next stake to come at you from his hand? Surely you must know that now that we've have the information that we need from him that if he does that again I will not hesitate to kill him."

"Stop killing people to protect me," she yelled at him. "No one should die for me. Stop doing it."

"Would you have died for them? For Matt. For Jeremy? For this Steven?" Klaus asked, narrowing his eyes at her. He already knew the answer. Why else would she have constantly stepped into the distraction piece, never sure if she'd be walking away with her life?

"That's not the point!" she countered, crossing her arms as she glared at him.

"Oh, but it is," he replied, stepping toward her, paying little regard to her personal space. His hand moved to her hair, brushing through it, as he watched her swallow. "You would sacrifice yourself for any of them to live but you won't have them do the same for you." Klaus looked down at her, his smile not at all pleasant. "I wonder how little your own self-worth is."

"Go to hell," Caroline muttered, clenching her fists at her sides.

"Seems I've struck a chord," Klaus replied, knowing full well that he had done so. Her father had left, her mother had lost herself in her job, and her friends were always so busy with their own problems that when would they have time to worry about hers? Why hadn't a single one of them realized that repeatedly sending her into the lion's den hadn't been the smartest move? Didn't they realize she could have been swallowed whole?

He trailed his fingers down her throat, watching her breath hitch at the contact. "Don't worry, Caroline. I have every intention of showing you precisely how much you are worth."

"I'd rather be worth nothing than have you think I'm priceless," she bit out as she pulled away from him, and he grinned at her fury, at her words.

"Don't lie to yourself, sweetheart," Klaus told her, and walked past, heading for the fridge and pulling out some of the small bottles of alcohol inside. "Care to join me for a drink? I think we've earned it after that trying day."

H wasn't at all surprised when she turned away and stalked off to one of the rooms. "Would you rather champagne?" he called out, grinning as she slammed the door behind her. He heard the lock click into place and pursed his lips, unable to help his own amusement at the situation.

It hadn't exactly been a waste of a day, even if he would rather it ending in a more pleasant manner. They had gotten the information they needed.

_Amsterdam._

Not his favorite city, but Klaus figured it would do quite well as a first stop for showing Caroline the world and all that he truly had to offer her. Not to mention going there would make them one step closer to finding Sanai and her coven and stopping Silas' rise. Something that was just not allowed to happen.

 


	8. Chapter 8

you're like death, you take everything _ **-Milan Kundera**_

* * *

Under different circumstances maybe Caroline would have allowed herself to enjoy being on an  _airplane_. Something she had wanted to do since she had heard about Elena's adventure on one to visit some distant cousin back when they were five and hanging upside down on the playground. It hadn't been jealousy back then, just an easygoing amazement at everything her friend had been telling her about the experience. Even if Elena had gotten sick with the motion of the plane and complained that the lines were long and the ride was boring. Aside from the new pack of crayons and pin of the jet that she wore proudly for an entire week after Christmas break.

Okay maybe there had been a  _little_  jealousy but it was natural to feel that way when Caroline's own break had consisted of going to her grandmother's house again and trying to pretend she didn't hear all of the nasty things said by her grandparents about her parents. Did they really think she hadn't heard their harsh words or seen their disapproving looks, even if they did smile brightly when they saw tiny her, giving her extra helpings of sweets and ignoring her mother's complaints about that.

Maybe if her father's promise of taking her with him on one of his travels had ever come true she would have already been on a plane once. Nothing compared to the private jet they were currently crossing the Atlantic Ocean in, but it would have been a step in the right direction. She wouldn't feel the need to slide her hand across every inch of the interior now, want to inspect everything, or look around with wide eyes as she took everything in.

She was Caroline Forbes though, and control was practically her middle name, so she didn't do any of those things. Instead she sat down on the first chair available as the group piled into the expansive plane, and buckled herself in. She put the headphones she found on the arm rest over her ears and fiddled with the dials until music she enjoyed started playing, steadfastly ignoring everyone else on the plane.

_Especially_  Klaus.

It didn't matter that he had sat down across from her. Nor was she curious at all about what he was drawing in that new sketchpad of his. She was still highly annoyed with him and what he had seen to be the best course of action with Steven. She wasn't going to look at him, much less talk to him.

Caroline knew that Stefan was trying to get her attention, had wanted her to sit further back on one of the couches with her so that they could talk, but she didn't feel like it. Didn't want to have a whispered conversation that they both knew the others could hear, didn't want the false promises that they'd get out of whatever the hell they were even really involved in. Which, really, Caroline knew they couldn't, that she wasn't about to just walk away from all that was happening.

She didn't want Silas to rise either. The idea of what the world would be like if that happened wasn't at all appealing to her, especially because her mother's life would be even more in danger than it usually was and that was something she really couldn't tolerate. She'd do what she needed to keep her mother safe, to try and protect her friends. She just wished she didn't have to be on Klaus' team for that to happen.

More than anything she wished he'd get over his little obsession with her, that he'd stop this pretense of trying to protect her, of wanting her safe and killing people to do that. Or threatening them with circumstances worse than death. It made her feel vulnerable, out of control, and she didn't like it one bit. Unfortunately she was currently at a loss on how to snap him out of it.

Plus…there was that niggling part in the back of her head, that one that tried to constantly remind her that she  _did_  like the attention. That it was nice to be put first for what seemed like the first time in  _so long_. But this wasn't supposed to be how that went. Being put first wasn't supposed to equal people she loved dying for her or even people she didn't know dying for her. It was just supposed to be…she wasn't even sure anymore. Picking spending time with her over hanging out with the guys just seemed far too simple and so far from what her life had become anyway. All she knew was the killing others options was not one she liked. At all.

"You actually enjoy that rubbish?" Kol dropped down onto the empty seat beside her, tugging on one side of her headphones. She glared at him, trying to shift away and even swatted at his hand. He grinned but didn't release his hold, snapping the headphones and making them useless. "I prefer the new music that's nothing but a constant strumming of beats. Really gets the blood pumping in the clubs. Makes feeding infinitely easier."

"I'd have thought you'd want the challenge," Caroline replied, dropping the broken headphones into her lap.

"No no. I like driving them mad, making them think they've lost their minds before I kill them. Nik is the one who's all about challenges," Kol informed her, glancing over at his brother.

Caroline rolled her eyes, but could see Klaus' reflection in the window and noted that he didn't even bother to look up from the pad. "Who was that last one?" Kol continued, tapping his fingers against the armrest. "She was a pretty little thing, not as gorgeous as you of course." He cocked his head toward Caroline, flashing his teeth at her.

"Of course," she drawled, trying to show precisely how bored she was by the topic of conversation.

"Red head if I recall correctly." Kol shrugged. "It was a hundred plus years ago. I may be a little fuzzy on that part. Mayor's daughter and engaged to be married. Klaus wooed her, killed the beau—which honestly better off for all, he was a dullard—and then when he was tired of her…what did you end up doing to that one?"

"Rebekah ripped her heart out," Klaus replied, still not looking up from the pad.

"Well, she was  _annoying_  and kept trying to come around the house after Nik had his fill," Rebekah piped up from behind them. "To be fair, I think she'd lost her mind by then, but it was still rather dull having to chase her home every night so I disposed of the problem. At least it was a quick death instead of being locked up in the sanitarium like her father was considering. Still better than what you did to that servant of hers."

"Which one?" Kol asked, grinning like a Cheshire cat. Caroline looked down at her nails, noticing one of them had chipped.

"The one you convinced that her family was out to kill her so you got her to murder them all and then screwed her when she was done," Rebekah murmured before turning her attention back to the movie. "I believe she drowned herself in the bayou."

"Oh right. She was quite a bit of fun for a few months." Kol looked over at Caroline, still smiling, though she noted he did keep glancing over at Klaus. No doubt wanting to get a rise out of his brother. That seemed to be his favorite pastime.

"You're looking a little pale, Caroline," Kol commented and Caroline rolled her eyes at him.

" _Vampire_. I'm always pale." She rose from the seat. "Were you expecting to scare me? To freak me out. Like I don't already have a clue what any of you are capable of doing?" She doubted that she even knew the surface of what they might have done in their thousand years, but she wasn't naive. She knew killing was an amusement to them. "I'm going to bed." She walked past them to the back area. While there was no door at least the double bed was situated so she wouldn't be able to see them as she laid down on it, intent on sleeping.

She had barely laid her head down when Rebekah let out a loud screech, followed by Kol, "Bloody hell, Nik! I was only having a little fun."

"Next time I won't miss," she could hear Klaus threaten, even though his voice was surprisingly soft. That only seemed to spark a more heated debate between the siblings and Caroline sighed, knowing there wouldn't be any way to drown them out.

The bed shifted under her and Caroline twisted, ready to shout at whomever it was to get the hell out when she saw Stefan. He looked about as exhausted as she felt and she scooted over some so he could lie down as well. Caroline turned back toward the window, staring out at the clouds, knowing that sleep wouldn't be coming to her, and thankful that Stefan didn't try to ask any questions or offer reassurances. Just rested a hand on her shoulder and gave it a gentle squeeze as the siblings no doubt threw things while yelling at one another in the background.

The moment of respite was broken not long after it had begun. Caroline didn't even have to turn to know who'd entered the area, sensing Klaus' presence before he even spoke. She wondered if it was a blood thing, ever since she'd drank from him that one time a few months back she always seemed to be able to sense when he was near.

"Run along, Stefan," Klaus bit out, and she could hear the hardness in his voice, the annoyance that the other vampire was with her. "Caroline and I need to have a little chat."

"I'll be able to hear your chat even if I leave the room so I think I'll stay," Stefan replied, giving her another reassuring squeeze even as he shifted on the bed. Caroline turned, noting the narrowing of the Hybrid's eyes, the room seeming to chill around her at the look he was directing at her friend.

"It wasn't a request," Klaus continued, clearly ready to move him.

"Its fine, Stefan," she murmured, nudging at him to leave. She didn't really think Klaus would kill Stefan but she doubted her friend wanted to deal with a snapped neck, plus she wasn't one hundred percent certain that he wouldn't.

Stefan hesitated for a moment before heading out of the room and leaving the two of them alone. She didn't really want to be alone with Klaus, especially not while she was laying down in a bed so she sat up, rolling her eyes as she heard Rebekah's snappy comment to Stefan about white knights or whatever she was going on about. That girl really needed new material.

"So chat," Caroline told Klaus, pushing hair out of her face. "Cause that's why you're here, disturbing my rest, right?"

"What do you know of your father's travels? Did he ever mention places he might have gone? Or monuments that he might have seen?" Klaus asked as he sat down on the bed. She shifted away from him, bringing the blanket up around her as an extra barrier.

"Not too much. I got postcards sometimes from him or little trinkets." That she'd put away in a memory box. One that she would take out some nights and look through, thinking of him and all of the places she wanted to visit. "I know Cairo was on one. Somewhere in Italy. Not a big name place though. Some place in the Netherlands. Not Amsterdam."

She didn't need to inquire as to why he wanted to know. No doubt the places her father had been might have information as to what he'd been doing, maybe even links to the coven they were looking for in case Steven's information was a little too outdated. Though ten year old information might not reveal much either but it'd be something to try if needed.

"Write it all down. Every place you can think of," Klaus told her, placing a journal beside her.

"It'd be easier if I could call my mom when we land. She can look through all of the things I saved and we'll have actual names." Caroline looked at the journal, noting the blue leather-bound cover with the silk thread that wrapped around it to keep it closed.

"You're free to talk to your mother whenever you'd like, Caroline." Klaus tilted his head. "Not at the moment because of aviation regulations but once we land feel free to do so. We'll get you a new phone."

She didn't like the fact that he was saying he'd do that. Where was the keeping her from speaking to the others? What was with this acquiescing to her needs? It threw her for a loop this constant back and forth they seemed to have, never quite certain what his response would be to any given situation. Though, she was noticing that more often than not things did seem to go her way.

"Our new passports will be ready when we land and after making sure the house is suitable we can tour the city and get whatever else you might need while we're in Amsterdam," Klaus told her, and Caroline frowned, not liking that it was all sounding more like a vacation than a mission to find witches. "Kol will be out doing his witch hunt. Its best we let him speak to them first. My reputation with witches will do us more harm than good." And considering they needed the witches alive, his usual tactics might not work. Nor did he plan on seducing any of them.

"Anything else?" Caroline asked, placing the journal back down. She really wanted the conversation to be over.

Klaus dropped a blood bag on her lap. "Eat. You didn't before we left Arlington and it may be a few days before we acquire more once we land. Wouldn't want to have any slip ups, would we?"

From the way he said it, she wasn't sure if he wouldn't like her having a slip up or not but she wasn't about to let that happen. She tore into the bag, quickly sucking it down before shoving it back at him. "Happy?"

He reached out, nearly touching her face, but she shifted out of his reach, wiping the blood from her mouth. He was not allowed to touch her, not like that, not in such an intimate gesture. Not with that slightly feral look to his eyes at the sight of blood on her skin. Caroline ran her tongue along her teeth, her fangs yearning for release and she took a breath to help stave of the urge.

"What do you think of the plane?" Klaus asked, and she didn't like the way he watched her, how his attention was fully on her, not once deviating. Even as they heard another spat beginning between his siblings. He was always doing that. Ever since he'd come to her bedroom on her birthday. Once she had his attention it was as if he couldn't look away from her, wouldn't do so unless she slipped away, and even then he still seemed to creep back up, finding her again.

It unnerved her. And maybe, just maybe, some small part of her was captivated by that ability and how he seemed to use it solely on her. But Caroline wasn't stupid. She'd been burned before and she wasn't about to let some thousand year old Hybrid who had probably played the game for far too long do it to her again.

She shrugged, picking at her nail polish. "It's nice I guess." It was  _amazing_ but she wasn't going to tell him that.

"It's your first time on a plane, is it not?" She only shrugged in response again, forcing herself not to look around or touch the blanket that was nicer than what she had in her own room back home. "First time out of the country. Quite a bit of firsts for you right now and all you can say is 'It's nice', Caroline?" She didn't respond to him, unwilling to give him any satisfaction by answering his question. "You are the only one you punish by not allowing yourself to enjoy any of it."

"Why so concerned if it's only punishing me?" Caroline replied, still not looking at him, finding her nails to be very fascinating.

"Kol! You cannot eat the flight attendant!" Rebekah shouted, and Caroline glanced toward the doorway to the other area, not at all surprised when Klaus rose. No doubt ready to deal with Kol.

"There's nothing wrong with enjoying some of the finer things in life," Klaus told her, dropping another bag into her lap. "Even if they do come from monsters."

She glared at his retreating back.  _Yes, there is_. Because enjoying it was a betrayal to her friends, to her mom,  _to Tyler_  and she wasn't about to let some nice blankets or an amazing jet skew her mindset on right and wrong. She wasn't that easily swayed. No matter how nice everything was or how it similar it all was to some of her biggest fantasies.

* * *

Valerie watched the girl work through the spell, calling on the elements around her as she tried to tap into them to boost her power. Of course, dear little Bonnie Bennett didn't realize what she was truly tapping into just yet, didn't quite understand all that was needed of her to harness expression to its fullest. It was magic based on one's own will, drawing from the inner magic that any witch had and eventually it could burn out a witch if they didn't use it correctly, if there wasn't someone to help cultivate it along correctly as Shane had been doing. Or if they weren't given energy to tap into as Valerie had been doing with the others in the area, easily sacrificing the lives of some in order to harvest that power.

Of course, Bonnie had unknowingly done it herself a few times. The expression reaching out and taking what it needed from those around, allowing her to utilize that power. However, Valerie had a feeling the girl wasn't quite ready yet to knowingly do that again. From what she had gathered, the men at the construction site had been an accident and only because she was trying to bring back Shane. Killing for an amplification of power to complete other spells was an entirely different matter and one Valerie didn't quite want to push for just yet. Not with the chance of Bonnie trying to run.

"A simple location spell, Bonnie. I wouldn't think it should take you this long to do," Valerie commented, gently pushing her to hurry up, to concentrate harder. She looked over at the members inside, nodding once and felt the spike of energy in the air as no doubt at least one of those inside was killed.

The witches in her coven knew what they had signed up for, that they were likely to die if needed. They also knew they would come back, as would that person who's loss had torn such a hole in their heart that they were willing to be sacrificed. Those in it purely for power such as she had been brought in to help with the actual killing. They had nothing against taking the life when in the end it would only gain them more power.

Bonnie's eyes opened the color in them gone and replaced by a striking white, her entire body going rigid for a moment and Valerie smiled. She remembered when expression had done the same to her, but back then she had only had one complete sacrifice completed for her. The expanse of power she'd received had been nearly overwhelming and addicting, losing its edge far sooner than she had hoped and she'd learned quickly that killing on her own didn't give quite the boost she had gotten used to.

"Draw on what I told you, seek out the signature," Valerie continued, circling the girl as she looked down at the blank paper, waiting for the map to appear. "You've felt it before with that former hunter that you knew. Find it again."

Bonnie's body twitched, arm rising above the paper and Valerie grinned as ink appeared on it, drawing out a map of where they needed to be. She already knew the state and the town from her other sources, but she needed a better location than that in order to find the potential.

Bonnie collapsed forward as the map finished, gasping for air and when she looked back up again, Valerie noted that her eyes were their normal shade. "What happened?" she asked, pushing back and looking down at the paper with wide eyes. "I did that?"

Valerie sat down beside her in the grass, internally reminding herself to be gentle, that the girl seemed to respond to praise. "You did excellent, tapping into your own abilities to locate the new potential," she assured Bonnie, remembering using this kind of coaxing tone on her own daughter before their fallout.

Bonnie frowned, glancing down at the paper that indeed had a college map on it. "He's already activated," she told her, unsure exactly how she knew that. It felt like Jeremy's presence did to her after he had become a Hunter. That slight difference to him than what he had been before he had ever seen that mark on his arm. She couldn't really explain it; just that there was a pull there for her, one that she didn't understand but was unique. Something she had only gotten from him and from the other Hunter before he'd died.

"That certainly makes our job infinitely easier," Valerie commented, rising up and collecting the paper. She offered Bonnie a hand. "You should eat. We have a bit of a drive ahead of us and you'll need your strength."

Sacrifing a member or two wouldn't be as easy on the road. It would be easier for Bonnie to notice if the group suddenly went from five to three whether by their actions or her own accidental ones. With how big the Coven was and the comings and goings of members, it was easier to get away with it. And Valerie couldn't chance losing the girl, not when the Bennett witch was needed in order to free Silas and drop the Veil. Not when she was the key to everlasting power.

"Your grandmother would be very proud of you," Valerie continued, smiling gently as Bonnie looked at her.

"You knew my Grams?" There was a tightening in Bonnie's chest at the mere thought of the woman. She missed her more than anything, especially because she couldn't feel her any longer. Not since the spirits had punished her.

"You didn't think Shane was the only one who did, did you?" Valerie asked, motioning toward the house. "She was quite well known among the witches of the east coast of the US." And they had never been friends, nor had Sheila ever liked her or trusted her, but that wasn't something she feared Bonnie ever knowing. The woman was dead and dead men told no tales. Especially banished spirits. "I'll tell you about our first meeting while you eat." Or at least the watered down version.

"I'd like that," Bonnie smiled, heading on in and Valerie followed, pleased.

A little bonding would be good for them. She did need Bonnie to trust her and preferably only her.

* * *

If anyone might have an idea on how to locate Caroline who was currently with the Originals, Liz figured it was Bill's former boyfriend. Steven and she had never been on the best terms, often finding his methods to be a little extreme—not to mention the fact that the man she had loved with all of her heart had chosen him in the end—but he was good at what he did. And tracking down vampires was something that he had always been pretty darn good at.

Funny how he hadn't tracked any of them to Mystic Falls, though the vampire population had only really spiked again in the last two years. Before that, no member of the current Council had seen one. Though apparently that wasn't entirely true considering at least Damon had been around town over the last decade or two. It seemed all of the families had their own share of secrets. From the Lockwoods with their werewolf gene to Meredith Fell experimenting with vampire blood. Who knew how many more there were considering everything she had grown up learning wasn't exactly true.

But she figured Steven could at least set her on the right path. Tracking mobile devices wouldn't work because Caroline and Stefan's phones were both broken and while she had traced where Caroline made the call from in New Orleans and had her daughter confirm that herself that had been days ago and Liz knew in her heart that her daughter wasn't there any longer. Tracking spikes in deaths similar to vampire victims only opened too many possibilities and she couldn't help but wonder exactly how many vampires were out in the world.

Facial recognition software to footage in every airport in the states was far out of her league and she considering the Originals could always compel someone to erase it wasn't exactly reliable. Waiting around for Caroline to call again wasn't an option either, though Liz kept her cell charged in hope that her daughter would contact her.

She pulled up in front of the townhome, taking a deep breath before getting out of the car. There was no love lost between her and Steven but she'd put aside whatever discord she had with him if it meant finding Caroline. For once she was making her daughter her priority, not Mystic Falls. She'd already lost her once and not even known it for months afterward that her daughter had _died_  and returned as a vampire. She wasn't about to lose her again.

Liz knocked on the door, surprised when it opened and she was immediately splashed with water. "Is there a reason for the unneeded shower?" she asked, glaring at Steven who put down the empty cup.

"Vervain. So you're not a vampire," he replied, turning and walking away, though he did leave the door open.

Liz followed after him and closed the door behind her. She wasn't surprised by the paranoia, though once she spotted the excess amount of weapons to use on a vampire littered on nearly every surface as she entered, she had a feeling Steven had gone a bit overboard. "I have to say I'm not a big fan of your new redecorating scheme."

"I'm not a fan of being threatened by an Original toting around someone I used to care about," Steven muttered, setting down the cup as he sat down on one of the chairs.

"Caroline was here?" Had she just missed her? Had he…no, if Caroline was dead…she would know. Wouldn't she? Even if she hadn't the last time?

"You should have put her out of her misery once you knew, Liz," Steven sighed, leaning forward and motioning for her to sit down. "She's not your little girl any longer."

"Yes, she is." She hadn't thought so at first either. But Caroline was still her little girl. Stronger than before, more confident, but still had that need for control even if she did drink blood. "She's the same girl you've known for the last ten years."

Steven shook his head as he leaned back. "I'm not here to debate that," Liz continued. There was little point in trying and she didn't want to waste the time she could be using to locate her daughter. "I want to find her. She didn't go willingly with them, the Original you talked about. Help me find her."

Steven shook his head again and crossed his arms. "If that one thinks I'm doing anything to hurt her he'll get Krissy killed. Can't risk it."

"Helping me locate Caroline isn't hurting her," Liz protested and rose from the chair.

"You sure he won't think that? Because I'm not taking that kind of risk." Not when his daughter was involved. "Besides, there's a far bigger problem than trying to find Caroline."

Liz spotted the photograph on the mantel, one of Steven, Bill and the girls from about two years ago. Big smiles on all of their faces. At one point she might have been fooled by it, seeing the large grin should have equaled happiness from Caroline. But she saw the loneliness captured in her daughter's eyes and knew it had all been a facade. Caroline might have loved her father, Steven and Krissy, but she hadn't been happy with how things had turned out for her family.

"All I care about is finding my daughter, Steven," she turned to look back at him. "I'm sure you can understand that."

"Even with the potential end of the world?" he asked, not moving from his spot but watching her carefully.

"Yes." Too often she had put something else in front of Caroline and if the end of the world was coming, Liz would be damned if she wasn't with her daughter when it happened.

"Amsterdam. They were heading that way," Steven told her as he picked up a long piece of wood and started sharpening the end of it.

Liz nodded and started for the door, stopping when he spoke again. "If she really is still in there, get her the hell away from them. I've seen vampires before, Liz, and nothing is as evil as the two she was with. And they're going to get put in their place. So if you want her to live make sure she is far away from them as possible when everything eventually happens."

She almost turned back, almost inquired as to what all was going to happen, but Liz knew if she did that she might not leave. That her focus might shift from her daughter to the bigger picture and for once she was going selfish. She was going to be a mom and not a Sheriff, not a member of the Council. Today she was just a mom, and she was going to find her little girl and protect like she hadn't been able to for the last year.

* * *

Katherine turned over in the bed, unsurprised to find the space next to her empty. She'd heard Elijah leave earlier, the car driving off into the distance, no doubt dealing with whatever business he had in town. There were sure to be murmurs in the small Italian town with the house suddenly being in use again after nearly one hundred years of silence in its walls. This accounted for the dust that had accumulated on anything that hadn't been covered with fabric the last time there had been anyone inside. People liked to gossip and over the years Katherine had found that small towns had more people prone to chit chat per capita than larger cities.

Maybe it was the lack of anything out of the routine, allowing for something new and exciting to talk about for a while. Speculation would run rampant and depending on superstitions in the area that could either be good or bad for them. Unlike some of the larger, more populated towns, the smaller ones—especially in Europe—tended to take their town's superstitions very seriously. She was sure Elijah could handle it all though, he had been doing it far longer than she had.

Katherine stretched out under the sheets, letting them twist around her body as she listened to the world around her. Or at least as far as the gates in the distance. It was an old habit; one she didn't think would ever go away after five hundred years of running. She always needed to be alert, to have an exit strategy in the back of her mind, even if Klaus was an entire ocean away from her.

Pity the Mystic Falls' gang's idea hadn't gone through. It had been a decent one and having Klaus desiccated and in some ocean would have been a wonderful outcome. Unfortunately not many witches would do that spell because of the requirements and those powerful enough to do it rarely wanted much to do with her or the Originals. Not that she'd stop looking into it, but there were more pressing matters to concern herself with, such as did she get out of bed or wait for Elijah to return for another round?

The ringing of her cell broke her train of thought and she rolled over, reaching for it and wondering who would be calling. Not many had the number, especially when she changed it as often as she did, only doling it out to those she wanted to be able to contact her and that list was rather short. She arched a brow at the number on the screen and hit answer, pressing the phone to her ear.

"I take it that you have something of interest for me this time." Katherine stood up, not bothering with the sheet as she moved to stand in front of the window, gazing out at the expanse of land.

"They all left," April Young answered on the other end of the line. "They're all just gone."

"What do you mean they all left?" Katherine couldn't see anyone in that annoying little gang up and leaving Mystic Falls unless something was happening. And whatever it was would have to be fairly big for the Salvatore brothers to get Elena out of town.

"Like I said they're not here. Damon, Elena, Stefan, Caroline, Bonnie. Even the Originals. The ones who were here. All of them are gone," April told her. "The Sheriff too. She left this morning. I saw her drive out of town and she hasn't come back."

"And where did all of them go, April? And what about the other two?" Not that she considered Matt or Jeremy to be all that important but it was interesting that they weren't being mentioned. Katherine wanted to know why Elena would leave her brother behind.

"I don't know where Matt or Jeremy are. I didn't see any of them leave like I did with the others or heard about the others. They won't answer their phones." The girl sounded worried about that and Katherine rolled her eyes, waiting for her to get to the important question and answer it. "Rebekah told me she was going to New Orleans to see her brothers because of a cure. Caroline is with them and so is Stefan. I don't know about any of the others. Elena just peeled out of town the other day. Bonnie has been missing from school and Damon left too."

"Cure?" It couldn't be what Katherine was thinking of, that was just a myth. One that never had anything substantial backing it up like other myths did. All the talk of the cure did was give false hope to those who couldn't handle what they had become and didn't want a stake through the heart.

"For vampirism," April told her, and Katherine whirled around, taking that in, trying to comprehend what she had been told. Interesting that Rebekah believed it. Perhaps there was more to the story than she thought.

"Tell me  _everything_  that Rebekah told you. Do not leave out a single detail," Katherine instructed, pleased she'd compelled the girl before she had returned to Mystic Falls. It had been chance running across her, amused when the girl called her Elena and had thought she might be semi-useful for gathering information, but this was going much better than she had foreseen.

Thirty minutes later and Katherine had heard every single thing Rebekah had ever said to April, and while parts of it had been difficult to sit through as she waited for something meaningful, the details at the end had been enough to spike her interest. A cure for vampirism. Wouldn't that be a handy little weapon or a bargaining chip?

She heard the car pulling back into the drive and knew that Elijah had returned. Katherine placed her phone back on the nightstand and lay back down, haphazardly situating the sheet over her body. "Are you planning on wasting your day away in bed?" Elijah asked as he entered the room, and she grinned as his gaze raked appreciatively over her body.

"Not much of a waste if you're joining me," she pointed out, sitting up and reaching over to touch his tie. She pulled him down by it as he kissed her, letting herself fall back onto the bed as she tried to focus on the man in front of her instead of her plans on the cure and how to successfully secure her freedom.

And it would ensure Elijah's as well. They would no longer need to hide, to fear his brother catching the two of them or ruining what they had together. So really, she was doing it for him. She just needed to figure out a way to get Elijah on board with whatever plan she did come up with. Though considering how eagerly he was removing his suit maybe it wouldn't be too hard. If she could get him past that blasted loyalty that family all seemed to have for one another.

She at least had to try.

* * *

There were times when Klaus could be a very patient man. When he was painting and lost in the canvas, or when seeing the roots of a plan digging into place as he waited for the seedling to grow. But there were also times when his patience ran out, when he was impulsive and this was quickly becoming one of those moments. He had tried to get her to leave the canal house after Kol had gone to find the witches. Talked up the different parts of Amsterdam, promised some shopping and that phone so she could call her mother, and each idea was rebuked. Her stony expression as she politely declined his offers before retreating to the room she had chosen was seared into his head and wouldn't go away.

He needed it to go away, needed to rip it out of his mind and tear it to shreds.

How was it possible that she could look at him so simply and strike him down faster than his parents had done? How could she bring out insecurities he had long since buried deep in the wasteland of his mind, not giving credence to them in nearly a thousand years, with her sharp tongue or that damn disappointed look?

Klaus hated it and he left the canal house in a fury, ignoring Rebekah's calls. He'd nearly stopped to take Stefan with him, wondering if his one-time friend was still on vervain. It'd be so simple to get his companion back and tear up the town, but he heard Caroline up above, moving about the room and he could almost see her eyes watching him, portraying her disappointment in his actions.

He left, heading through the snow covered streets. He wanted to leave a swash of red over them, drenching the beauty that was before him as the moon shone brightly overhead. There were not many out because of the drop in temperature and those who were tended to stick in groups, heading out for entertainment or home after work. Klaus walked, waiting for an easy prey to show itself, knowing that all he needed to do was keep moving until he found one.

He could always head to the Red Light District if his current method took too long to satisfy his blood lust. There were always easy pickings there but he didn't want something that easy just yet.

Klaus stopped, spotting a woman heading down the steps of one of the canal houses, tugging her hood over her blonde locks as she moved. No one else followed her out and she met no one when she reached the sidewalk, quickly heading off to walk on her own. He grinned, heading off toward her, wondering how precisely he wanted to do this, what method would end in the most gratification for him.

She steered down a small side street and Klaus' grin deepened as he realized there was no one else in the near distance. He didn't hesitate, stepping around the corner and then flashing right at the girl, slamming her against the wall. Green eyes met his, widening in horror as he pressed his hand against her mouth. "You're going to be quiet, love, and only answer when I ask you a question. Don't speak otherwise and do whatever I say," Klaus compelled in perfect Dutch, patting her cheek as she repeated the words. "Where are you off to?"

"A friend's dinner party," she replied, tears already welling up in her eyes.

There would be none of that. "Don't cry," he commanded, stepping back from her. "And don't run. How many at this party?"

"Five, including me," she told him, body still trembling as she looked around. Her body couldn't move though, couldn't run from the monster she sensed him to be.

"Looks like it'll be six," Klaus told her, linking his arm with hers. "Show me where we're off to and once we arrive I'll need you to get me an invitation to come inside. And stop trembling. You're perfectly happy, content even to be with me."

The transformation was almost immediate, the woman's demeanor quickly shifting and becoming everything that he wanted. Of course he desired it from another blonde and without the use of compulsion, but this would do for now. Ten minutes later he was inside the house, smiling as he was greeted by the girl's friends. It was almost lovely except for the fact it was all a terrible ruse. Maybe another night he'd have played the charade for a while longer, but there was nothing to keep him from getting what he wanted from these humans.

Klaus didn't hesitate as the doors closed and the last guest arrived, quickly blocking the only means of escape and incapacitating those who tried to bolt from the dining room. He fed on all of them, draining four of them dry and leaving the pretty little blonde for last. She kept on smiling through it all, even as her friends were slaughtered around her. Red was splattered in her hair, on her cheek and he wiped it off, licking his fingers as he looked down at her. He missed the defiance he wanted to see, the harsh words that he wanted to hear spill out of her mouth. But this was only a meager substitute for what he truly desired.

He had thought of fucking her before he fed from her, against the table with all of her friends dead around them. The smell of blood and her arousal mingling together would be a lovely high, but that idea was quickly pushed aside because of her too happy demeanor. Biting into her wasn't as satisfying as he hoped, her life draining far more quickly than he wanted and he released her once he was done, letting her body fall to the ground beside the others. The dinner set out to be eaten had grown cold and Klaus looked down at the ham, poking it with a fork. Much too dry for his taste.

Perhaps he should have cared about clean up but walking out of the house with his coat buttoned up to hide any traces of blood, it was the furthest thing from his mind. Law enforcement would do the usual, deeming it a savage attack by some depraved human or if they were desperate perhaps an animal attack. Their minds would never go the vampire route and if they did it was never for long. After all, vampires weren't real to most of the world.

It was over an hour before Klaus returned to the house, hearing only Caroline upstairs. He discarded his jacket, wondering where Stefan and Rebekah had gone to and what Rebekah must have done to get the Salvatore to go with her when most likely he would have wanted to stay with Caroline. Klaus saw red at the thought, picturing the two of them on the plane, Stefan's hand on her shoulder as they lay in the bed, picture perfect couple.

He was in her room before he knew what he was doing, that defiant gaze as she looked at him having him on her in a second. Klaus had Caroline pressed to the wall, hand on her throat, not crushing but the threat that he could in seconds hanging there between them. She looked him over, no doubt seeing the spattering of blood on his shirt after his couple of feedings.

"You killed, didn't you?" Caroline asked, and he smiled at the judgment in her tone, not at all surprised by it.

"I could kill you in a heartbeat as well," Klaus murmured, fingers tightening just a little, not enough to hurt, but she would feel the difference in pressure.

She didn't tremble, didn't waver from her gaze locked with his. "If you wanted me dead you would done it by now."

That was the catch wasn't it? Because he could have killed her so many times by then. Had so many opportunities and reasons to over the last few months. He had killed for far less than what she had done to him, in the parts she had played in her friends' plans, in the way she spoke to him without regard to who he was. No one spoke to him the way she did and lived.

"You could have done a lot of things to me by now but you haven't," Caroline continued and he heard the confusion in her voice, the uncertainty as to why he hadn't done any of the various scenes that were no doubt playing out in her head.

Klaus didn't know himself why he hadn't. Oh he liked the challenge of not using compulsion to get what he wanted at times, but this little dance had gone on far longer than he liked and in other situations he would have used it, had her in his bed already, fucked her and disposed of her like so many others. But he couldn't, the thought of compelling her twisted him in ways he did not like, brought out emotions he didn't want to give name to and had long thought snuffed out inside of him. He wanted her willing, he wanted what she felt to be true, not fabricated because of his ability to shape her mind.

"Don't take the fact that I haven't done whatever scenario is running through your head at the moment to mean that I'm being inactive, sweetheart. I just deem that you're worth more than a little round of compulsion to enjoy what I have in store for you," Klaus told her, and his grip softened considerably, fingers stroking her neck instead.

Caroline hissed at him, and he'd noted that her eyes had narrowed when he spoke of her worth _._ Her insecurities were worn on her sleeve for anyone to see, reminding him for a moment of the boy he had been so long ago. But he'd been worth far more than his parents had ever deemed him to be and Klaus believed he could see the greatness that little Caroline Forbes had inside of her, that she deserved if only she would allow it. But god, she was stubborn, that fire in her eyes as she glared at him.

Klaus stepped back, dropping his hands as he looked her over. "We'll be going out tomorrow morning and no amount of your stubbornness will keep you inside this time, Caroline." He would drag her out and force her to endure the wonders of the city.

"I know what you're trying to do and it's not going to work," she murmured as he turned to leave and he stopped at the doorway.

"And what nefarious deed do you think I'm up to this time?" Klaus asked, not bothering to look back at her.

"You think by showing me the world, by seeing it with you, that I'll choose you," she continued and Klaus smirked, looking back at her then.

"I didn't know I was an option," he informed her, enjoying the way her eyes widened at that and he headed out of the room. "I'll see you in the morning." He closed the door before she could answer, listening to her exhale and drop down onto her bed.

Klaus headed to his own room, still smiling as he listened to her mutter to herself, and moved to the en suite bathroom. Nice little revelation for the evening. He only hoped that his siblings didn't manage to create more trouble before they headed home. It wouldn't surprise him at all if they did.

* * *

Over a hundred years in a coffin and Kol wasn't as in touch with the new workings of covens as he used to be. Finding Zelda in New Orleans had been easy enough because she'd been an old friend and hadn't moved from her spot. Nandi had been child's play because of her connection to Zelda. Roaming about the United States for the last month or so had led him to some new witch communities, but all of those had happened by chance and not all of them had been exactly welcoming.

Biases against vampires was always going to run rampant. He blamed his siblings. They never did really seem to appreciate what the witches could do for them. Not like he did. But then none of them had shown quite the same aptitude to magic back in their human days as he had done as a child. Rebekah came close, but she preferred wielding a sword in secret and following on their target practice hunts in the woods than sitting around with their mother and learning her craft.

It had hurt to be cut off from nature so suddenly even if he had never practiced. It had always been a constant in his life and to have it severed so quickly had been unsettling. Maybe that was why he held witches in a higher regard or maybe it was the simple fact that he knew how valuable they could be, when not screwed with over the centuries. A coven could be a powerful advantage if it was truly loyal. But none of the others ever saw it that way, preferring to use this witch or that one until they bled them dry of their magic.

Whatever the case he coveted what they had and he meant to find someone who could lead him to Sanai and her Coven. Hopefully they were still in the area, but if not, he was certain he'd find someone who could direct him where to go next.

Most of the occult shops, offering up palm readings or healing crystals, were run by fakes or at least ones who didn't have an inch of any real magic at their disposal. Sometimes they could point out where to find someone with actual power but he had learned to check out the shops that sold different types of herbs. It was like a needle in a haystack in Amsterdam considering the drug laws, but eventually he found one with a pretty little owner who wore a necklace made of vervain. He'd know that particular plant anywhere.

From the way she looked at him as he entered, eyes narrowed as she looked back at her current customer, he knew she had an idea of what he was. Doubtful that she knew  _who_  he was or just how powerful he could be. It seemed like news of the Original family being awake hadn't traveled quite as far as he had thought it would. Better for him really.

As soon as the other customer left the shop, Kol felt pain erupt in his head and he turned toward the brunette, fangs flashing as he looked at her. She was powerful; energy that he hadn't experienced in centuries, and he knew at once that she must have come from a powerful line.

"Your kind is not welcome in my shop," the woman bit out, bending her hand and making him fall to the ground. "You haven't done anything yet, but I don't think the world would really mourn the death of one more vampire."

Kol saw the stake in her hand then and grinned. Feisty. He appreciated that. "Won't do you much good. I'm an Original, darling. Only one thing can put me down for good." And she certainly didn't have access to it.

A flicker of recognition flashed in her eyes and that was interesting. Someone had been told their tales. The Original Family wasn't always talked about in some witch circles, thought to be a myth considering they had apparently been out of the limelight for so many decades. "Who are you and what do you want?" she demanded, not releasing her hold on his body and even twisted it again when he didn't respond right away.

"Kol Mikaelson. I'm looking for a witch named Sanai," he replied, watching the woman's features darken at that admission. The pain in his body increased dramatically. Seemed someone was a little protective of the other witch. "Silas is rising. I'm told she can help make sure he doesn't do that." There was hesitancy in the woman now. "So be a dear and stop with the power play."

"How do I know you won't kill me as soon as I let you go?" she asked, keeping her magical grip on him.

"You don't but the longer you do this the more likely I am to pay it back to you tenfold," Kol replied, watching as the woman stepped back. She began chanting a spell he didn't know and Kol watched, trying to fight against the hold she had but he couldn't break it.

Eventually she did release him and he stepped forward, bumping into an invisible wall. "It'll keep you in here for five hours. Enough time for me to get out of town and away from you."

Clever girl.

"If you really want to find Sanai for help I'll leave the address on the desk," the woman continued, scribbling away on a piece of paper before collecting her things. "She won't be there long. The Coven was due to move in a few days. Up to you if you want access to her or to kill me. I doubt you could do both at the same time."

Kol grinned, enjoying the shiver that ran down the woman's' spine. Seventy-thirty chance that he could do both. He'd had worse odds. Seemed he would have a few hours to decide what exactly to do. Pity he'd forgotten his cell at the house. Nik was going to have his head when he learned they could have known the location five hours earlier.

Ah well. What his brother didn't know wouldn't hurt him.

 


	9. Chapter 9

_During the day, memories could be held at bay, but at night, dreams became the devil's own accomplices_. **― Sharon Kay Penman**

* * *

Stefan hadn't liked leaving the house. Especially not after Klaus had practically stormed out, looking ready to kill someone, and no doubt that was what the Hybrid was doing. He worried about not being back in time for Klaus' return, leaving Caroline alone to deal with the volatile man. There was something about the way Klaus had been looking at her ever since their trip on the plane that didn't sit well with Stefan. Especially after he had only tried to offer comfort to his friend and received a deathly glare for doing so. That had been happening since he'd arrived with Rebekah in New Orleans, the Hybrid constantly working to get in between Caroline and anyone.

The possessiveness of Klaus' behavior had him worried for what Klaus might do if he was set off. It wasn't exactly a secret that the Hybrid could be quick to anger and when angered he could cause some real pain. Might even kill if that's what he wanted to do and Stefan didn't want Caroline's immortal life snuffed out so quickly because their little group had made a terrible choice in exploiting Klaus' interest in his friend.

The excuse that he hadn't been in his right mind when pushing for it at first didn't work for Stefan, knowing he'd kept it up afterward, when they had needed Klaus distracted so he could rescue Elena from the Mikaelson manor after the Hunter incident. He'd returned to Mystic Falls with Klaus, knowing what lengths that man would go to for what he wanted. They all knew how obsessed he could be with things—from breaking his curse, to punishing Katherine for what Klaus considered to be her betrayal. How had none of them thought through that egging along the interest Klaus seemed to have in Caroline was a  _horrible_ idea? As if the Hybrid would stop until he got what he wanted?

Unfortunately Rebekah Mikaelson could be extremely pushy when she wanted to be and Stefan knew she wouldn't give up on him heading out with her for a drink until he did it. He figured if they stayed out for an hour or two that would give him plenty of time to return to the house and make sure that Caroline was safe. Also he was curious as to  _why_  Rebekah was so insistent, waiting until Klaus was gone to even bring up that she wanted to go out. She could have done so before Klaus left to carry out his rampage and her brother probably would have gotten all of them to go as well.

But Rebekah had waited nearly ten minutes until after Klaus had left and Stefan had a feeling she didn't want her brother knowing whatever was on her mind. Stefan couldn't really blame her; she had been daggered only a few weeks before for having her own opinions. Was it really any surprise that she was cautious around the guy?

"I'm pretty sure there were a number of bottles of alcohol back at the house, Rebekah, so why don't we cut to the chase about why we're here?" Stefan leaned back in the booth she had picked, looking across the table at her.

Rebekah glanced toward the door for a moment and Stefan had a feeling she was listening to the conversations around them as she briefly scrunched her nose, lips pressing together in concentration before looking back at him. "First, if I think you'll breathe a word of this conversation to my brother I will bleed out the vervain that you are on before we leave here and compel you to forget it."

There wasn't any coldness to her voice, she was simply stating facts, and Stefan nodded, wondering what could possibly have her so paranoid. "I know there is a big to do about the end of the world and the rest of it. With this Silas and the Other Side needing to stay up," she started, glancing back toward the exits before looking at him again. "But not once did they explain why we can't have the cure."

Stefan blinked, unsure if he should trust this. Was it a test in loyalty? Klaus did like those and he wouldn't put it past the Hybrid. He remembered what Rebekah had said before he had helped her get daggered. How she had wanted it once upon a time for a normal life. Like he wanted for Elena…and maybe for himself as well. A chance to live out a mortal life with a final ending, to maybe pursue that doctor career, to have a family. He couldn't help how nice it all sounded.

But Rebekah hadn't wanted Klaus to get it either, hadn't wanted to help her brother obtain anything so he needed to know her motives now.

"What do you want with the cure, Rebekah?" He really hoped it was the same reasoning as she'd had for Alexander though he couldn't figure out why he wanted it to be that way. As long as it wasn't to piss off her brother.

"I think we should stop referring to it by name for one," she muttered, her body tensing. "After all, the Coven is supposed to be here in this city and we have no idea who they are. Or who any of these people are." Any of them could overhear and most would probably ignore it, chalk it up to something ordinary. But what if someone who knew something about it overheard? Then they might have a problem on their hands.

Stefan nodded. "Okay, still, why do you want it?" He needed to hear her say it again.

Rebekah looked down for a moment, touching the glass in front of her, fingers wiping at the condensation. "I don't want to follow my brother around for another thousand years." Truth was she didn't want to do it for another year let alone that long. "I don't want to miss decades, centuries because he doesn't like a decision I make. I want a chance. The one that my parents stole from me."

For her own life, her own family. To live out of the shadow of her siblings. To grow old with someone else and have a love that was her own. Surely Klaus wouldn't kill this one as it'd be the only one she would have. And of course she could always flee after getting the cure and hide away in some country, live out her life, and only contact her brothers once her time was almost up. Something like that. She hadn't quite worked out the logistics of it all.

Stefan stared at her. Not that he didn't believe her, but it was hard to fathom that was what she wanted. Though, considering he'd lived for significantly less time and wanted a chance at a human life, he supposed it wasn't that surprising that Rebekah would as well. He really wasn't sure that any of her brothers would allow that for her either.  _Especially_  Klaus.

"And you want it for Elena, don't you?" Rebekah continued, staring at him. "So she turns back into the girl who might love you." The contempt in her voice at that part had him directing a look at her. "It seems to be the doppelgangers lot in life to try and come between brothers. Tatia did it to Nik and Elijah. Then Katherine did as well, though in a very different way. I suppose she also did it with you and Damon. And now Elena with you and your brother."

She picked up the glass, offering him a sardonic smile before taking a drink. "You're going about this in really shitty way if you want my help, Rebekah," Stefan told her with a grimace. It was true though. He did want it for Elena. She hadn't ever wanted to become a vampire, hadn't she repeatedly told them that? So he just wanted to give her the chance of a normal life, so she never had to deal with the guilt of killing someone. And he wanted to break the sire bond. What happened after that was anyone's guess.

Rebekah simply shrugged. "The problem you're going to face, aside from my brothers wanting to make sure no one gets their hands on it, is that if Elena does take it and becomes human again…" She paused, arching a brow at him.

"Her being a blood donor factory becomes a problem." And what was the point of living a human life if it was to be nothing but a donor factory for Klaus? Didn't seem like that sweet of a deal.

"I'm sure there are witches who are powerful enough to hide her presence. I'd suggest Bonnie but she seemed to be a bit out of sorts the last I saw her." Rebekah set down her drink, watching him carefully. "But I want this and I think you do too. Better chances if I'm not trying to get it on my own."

"You mean it'll be nice to have a scapegoat if everything goes wrong?" Stefan arched a brow at her, wondering where the girl he'd known in the twenties had gone. Though perhaps this was still Rebekah. Not really all that changed, just not quite as in love with him as she once had been. If only…no, he wasn't going to play that game. That was so very far in his past even if it hadn't been that long ago for her. He wasn't the same person he had been and he had no intentions of going back to it.

"I suppose it'd be in your interest for nothing to go wrong?" She flashed him a smile and Stefan shook his head, reminded of when they had first met.

It couldn't hurt to have a partner in this, especially because she was right, Klaus and Kol did seem to be pretty adamant about not getting the cure anymore. Stefan couldn't help that it was something he was going to try for, even with all the risks. He owed it to Elena, didn't he? Maybe even to himself.

Stefan picked up his glass and held it out, clinking it with hers and reciprocated her smile. He'd need to watch his back and look out for Caroline, make sure she didn't get mixed up in this part of all that was happening. Shouldn't be too difficult. It wasn't really his first time being involved in multiple plans.

He was used to making deals with devils.

* * *

Klaus could go for days, even weeks sometimes, without sleep. When he and his siblings had first turned, it hadn't been like that. Sleep had still been part of their routine until the forced fleeing, leaving behind a dead mother, and getting away from their murderous father. It was a time he rarely chose to look back on, compartmentalizing it away to the far reaches of his mind and burying it where it belonged. Vampires didn't need sleep like humans did, but recently turned vampires slept more regularly than he or his siblings did.

A thousand years roaming the earth had its advantages aside from increasing their strength and other abilities and the decrease in need for rest at night was one of them. But after the last week or so, ever since the slaughter of his hybrids, he hadn't had much time for rest, his body and mind usually constantly on the go. And after the events of the evening and the conversation with Caroline, sleep was something he welcomed.

He had planned on letting his mind wander to the blonde he would have preferred spending an evening with, the pleasures and heights he wanted to show stubborn little Caroline Forbes that he was constantly being denied.

Unfortunately fate seemed to have other plans for him.

Klaus knew what it was like to take over someone else's dream, to pluck through their head and twist what was happening to his own design. He'd done it thousands of times before. Sometimes to orchestrate something that he wanted to happen, others to torment a mind until it would break to his liking, as well as simply to play with how he could manipulate another's thoughts and desires. When one didn't sleep and was privy to hundreds of minds inside of a manor wall, it was an easy way to pass the boredom of night to night life. Kol and he had made a game of it before, see which of them could get the person to wake up screaming in terror first.

He felt the push, the twist in the design and sought out who was doing it. All vampires had the ability to get into another's head, but being able to get into his or his siblings would take a great amount of skill. The fact he couldn't force out whoever was doing it was cause for some alarm, though Klaus refused to show any panic, confident he'd get the interloper out before any harm was done.

Not to mention he was curious as to the motive and needed to know  _who_  was behind it so he could make them pay for even trying to mess with his head.

There were no images being twisted though, nothing at all around him. No ounce of light and he couldn't even make out his own hands with how dark it was. The coldness that swept through him was startling, something he hadn't felt since he was human and huddling in the huts with his siblings in the winter. But even this was far harsher, no warmth provided at all. Nothingness seemed to surround him, trying to strip him of any and all hope, but he'd experienced life without hope before. Endured the Hunter's Curse for more years than he cared to remember, so for Klaus it did nothing.

He would have laughed if he'd been able.

Whoever was trying to manipulate him seemed to sense that and the landscape shifted, showing a house he did not know but there was Kol, fighting off someone with the Hunter's mark, trying to chop off the man's arm before getting the White Oak stake shoved into his chest. Klaus watched as his little brother burst into flames, dying while he was cemented in place. Kol reaching out to him, gaze pleading for help as he died.

Elijah was next. Klaus knew this place, the mansion in Mystic Falls, and watched as the Bennett witch sent the white oak stake flying through the air and catching his brother through the back, entering his heart. And then there was Katerina running toward the burning body, screaming as she fell to his brother's side. Shouting that it was his fault.

The images shifted again and Klaus thrashed against the invisible ropes that seemed to be tying him down, watching as Rebekah came into view. She was in the Amsterdam house, only a floor below where he lay. She was talking on the phone, chattering away with someone, but it wasn't the stake that killed her and Klaus couldn't understand it. How could slitting her throat like that cause her to die? It should heal, she should be fine, but she simply grasped her neck, stumbling backwards as she stared at someone Klaus had never seen before, blood spilling forward as she collapsed to the floor. He watched as the blood pooled around her, saw Stefan enter into the house moments later, falling to her side and trying to close the wound, shouting and crying all at the same time.

What was this?

It made no sense to him at all. Elijah was nowhere near Mystic Falls, he had no clue who this new Hunter was, and Rebekah…she almost seemed human. And that wasn't possible. She was a vampire.

"Keep up your travels and this will all come to pass," a voice called, one that he had never heard before and couldn't distinguish if it was male or female. All Klaus knew was that it sent that same coldness sweeping through him, chilling him to his very core.

If this was a viewing of what might happen then he would simply be on the lookout. Kill the Bennett witch before she could take out Elijah, make sure Rebekah never became human—he'd have to determine a way to break that very thought from her head, Klaus knew she was entertaining it—and Kol. He'd kill that person if he ever saw them. Simple. Done.

The images shifted again, showing a forest, but this time was different than the others. Before he had been a bystander, rooted to the spot, unable to move or stop anything from happening. This time he cried out, his body breaking and twisting as he was forced to transform into the wolf. He couldn't figure out why that was a bad thing at first. He didn't feel the pain. It wasn't something he did often, changing into an actual wolf, but it wasn't something he feared either.

Until his senses picked up on the vampire. One who's scent he knew by heart and could hear running through the woods, trying to get away from him, away from the wolf that he currently was. The one that started running at full speed toward her, basic instincts taking over. Vampires were the enemy, something that seemed to be ingrained in wolf instinct, and he barreled toward her.

It didn't matter how hard he tried to stop it, to force himself to return to his usual state, to force the wolf that he was to alter course. Especially when she tripped over the underbrush, falling to the ground and he didn't wait, quickly pouncing on her and ripping into her throat.

Caroline.

Her screams would haunt him.

Klaus tried to fight against the hold on him, twisting against the invisible threads that were weaving their way through his mind, tightening their hold and forcing him to continue ripping out her throat. Devouring her pale skin, that mouth he wanted nothing more than to kiss.

"All of this will come to pass," the voice reminded, laughing at Klaus as it forced him to change back, bones bending and twisting until he was in his normal form, staring down at Caroline's body. There was no way to save her, nothing he could do to bring the light back to her eyes.

And just like that the nightmare was over and he was sitting up in bed, hand coming up to squeeze the intruder in his room. "Klaus?" Caroline choked, hands clasping onto his arm and it took him a moment to realize that it was her at the side of his bed, that he was hurting her.

He released her, watching as she massaged her throat. "What are you doing?" he demanded. Any other time he would have been ecstatic to have her in his room, but not then, not with how weak he was feeling in that moment. Not after what he had just done.

"You were…I thought something was wrong." She stepped back from the bed, still rubbing her neck. He didn't like the look she was giving him, was unable to decipher it against all the others he'd been on the receiving end of. "Rebekah and Stefan still aren't home and I heard you…" She shrugged, looking a little helpless at finding the words to say and it was something he never thought he'd see happen to Caroline Forbes. It was almost endearing.

"So you came to help me out, sweetheart?' Klaus arched a brow at that, allowing the satisfaction to sweep over him that she had come to his room because she thought he was in trouble. So many tiny incidents showing she didn't hate him as much as she tried to say she did.

Caroline frowned, looking away from him for a moment and he nearly grinned until she looked back at him. "Did they try to make you into a doll too?"

Her fear spiked at that idea and Klaus couldn't stand it, images of her lying dead on the ground bombarding him. The desire to taste her blood spiked, and he could feel the wolf in him wanting to come out to play. "No."

It was a curt answer and he was in no mood for fifty questions, needed her out of the room so he could come up with a plan, so that fear didn't grip hold of him as her fear engulfed him, reminding him of what his wolf had done.

Klaus pushed off the bed, grabbing hold of her arm and pulling her toward the door. "What is wrong with you?" she demanded, trying to force his grip off of her, her fear lessening, being replaced by anger. "I was just trying to help."

"I do not need your pity." He would not accept that. Especially not from her. Not after…no. He would not think of it then. He needed her out of the room. "Go to bed, Caroline."

He felt her tense at those words, her fear back again, and Klaus had a feeling he knew why it had spiked. No matter the ring they had gotten from the witch, he had a feeling she was still unsure of sleeping, worried it would fail. He should say something, offer some assurance that she would be fine, but he couldn't promise that. Not with what he had been forced to see, to watch himself do. He needed to think up a plan of his own, how to stop all that had been shown to him from ever happening, and he couldn't do that with her in the room.

"It wasn't pity. It was… _ugh_. Never- freaking-mind. I don't know why I even bothered." He released his hold on her and watched Caroline head back toward her room, muttering under her breath as she walked.

Mikael's words echoed in his mind, taunting him.  _No one cares about you anymore, boy_. Was that what Caroline had been doing? Caring? Klaus wasn't sure, everything inside of him screaming that it was simply pity even as part of him railed against the rest, claiming it wasn't that. He heard his sister's words next, combining with his father's, all about a man who couldn't love. Not that this was…he didn't know what any of it was with Caroline, but love wasn't allowed, love was a weakness he would not, did not afford himself to have any claim to. Except for his siblings and even then it was a struggle.

Part of him wanted to go after her, to explain everything, to have her back there with him, to figure out why she had come to help him while he endured his own nightmare. But that part was quickly squashed and he headed downstairs, needing to do some research in the books in the library, needing answers and to formulate a plan. He'd make it up to her in the morning, still intent on making her enjoy her time in Amsterdam while Kol was off looking for the witches. But first, he needed to do this, to work out a way to be three steps ahead, to formulate his list of backup plans, just as he had done over the years.

What he had seen was not allowed to scare him. No, it would only strengthen what he was doing and ensure that whoever had tried to manipulate him would die begging for death by the time he was finished with them. Klaus simply needed to determine who it was, he already had the why. That much had been obvious. They wanted him to stop working to keep Silas locked away forever, for him to allow the immortals rise.

That was something he couldn't allow to happen. No matter what they threatened to be his future if he followed through with keeping Silas at bay. His siblings would not be killed,  _he_  would not kill Caroline. Klaus would make sure of it and destroy any who would dare try and set into motion the scenarios that had played out in his head. No matter how angry it might make those he was protecting. Better with him and hating him than truly dead and lost to him forever.

* * *

Stepping onto the campus and walking along the paths with Valerie, Bonnie couldn't help but think back to all those late night talks with Caroline about them going to college. How they would room together, and get meal plans together, buy one of those burners and cook grilled cheese sandwiches in their rooms late at night when they needed a pick me up snack. Of course the contents of their mini-fridge would need to have a storage area for blood bags now and her part of the bookshelf would need an area for her family's grimoire and some herbs that she liked to keep around for doing magic, but the two of them still clung to that vision of normalcy. Even as everything else changed around them and in them, the bulk of their college dream had stayed the same.

She wasn't so sure it would anymore, not with all that they had lost in the last few weeks, not with what was to come. Or maybe it would allow more dreams to come true. Once she freed Silas and brought the others back from the dead, once she destroyed Klaus, maybe it'd be easier for them to have something even remotely close to normal.

But enough thinking about that. She had a task to complete and needed to concentrate, trying to follow the signature she had picked up of the new Hunter. "This way," she informed the witch who was accompanying her.

Valerie and the other were off looking into something else on the campus, Bonnie wasn't sure what, but her focus needed to be on the Hunter, not wondering what the others were doing. The older witch would probably tell her when they met up again…right? Now was not the time to let doubt set in.

"You're sure?" asked the girl, Sara, that was her name, right? Bonnie really needed to pay attention to some things a little more.

"Can't you feel it?" Bonnie asked, glancing over at the girl as they headed toward the dorm. The other girl shrugged, looking back toward the dorm entrance that it looked like needed some kind of keycard to get into.

Thankfully some students were leaving the building as they arrived, and Bonnie and Sara headed inside as one of them held the door open for them before trotting off after his friends. Bonnie refocused on following the energy, heading up the stairs until she got to the correct floor and then down the hallway. She stopped in front of a room, Sara close on her heels.

This was it. This was where all of the tumultuous energy originated. How exactly were they supposed to do this? What if the guy thought they were nuts? Bonnie remembered Caroline's reaction to when she had told her that she was a witch, and on hindsight she really shouldn't have blamed her friend. It  _was_  a pretty out of the world idea considering all that they knew to be true.

Standing outside the door doing nothing really wasn't going to help any though, that much she did know. Before she could even knock though the door opened and a very disheveled looking young man stood in the doorway, looking between the two of them. His gaze was erratic and he ran a shaky hand through his hair. "Are you the ones who are supposed to help?" he asked, glancing behind them toward the hallway. He ushered them inside before they could answer, closing the door and locking it once they were inside.

Whatever Bonnie had been expecting, it definitely wasn't the dead vampire in the corner. The rest of the mess was pretty consistent with how she pictured a boy's dorm room to look. "She said you would be here like right away," the guy told them, his hands shaking as he stepped around them, giving himself as much room as possible from the dead body without stumbling into furniture. "Not a fucking week later."

"Who said what?" Bonnie asked, tearing her gaze away from the body and looking over at the young man.

"The one who did this!" the guy shrieked, holding up his hand.

There wasn't anything there, at least not visible to her eyes, but she had a feeling she knew what it was. "The mark? The Hunter's mark?" Bonnie asked as Sara moved around, trying to find somewhere that looked safe to sit.

"Is that what is? What the hell is a Hunter?" the guy asked, his energy spiking more as he started at his hand.

"Why don't we sit down and I'll try to explain what I can," Bonnie told him, offering up a small smile. "I'm Bonnie. I'm a witch. And I'm going to guess the guy in the corner was a vampire?"

The young man nodded and then raked a hand through his hair, gathering up papers and old plates off of the couch. He deposited them on the table and then sat down, waiting for Bonnie to do the same. "I'm Eddie. That's…that  _was_  John." He wiped his hand over his face before letting fall onto his lap. "We've been friends since middle school. And he was…god; this was supposed to be a nightmare."

His leg moved nervously, bouncing repeatedly and Bonnie could pick up on the guy's nerves. "What happened?" she asked. Was there a vampire problem at the school?

"I came home from chem class and John was in here with some psycho girl who freaking fed him my blood and then had me shove some wood into his chest," Eddie told her, and nodded toward John. "That happened. He…and then this." He raised his hand again, and she knew he was looking at the marks on it. No doubt they looked like Jeremy's had. "And I've just been in here; waiting for whoever she said was going to help me, eating all the ramen, ignoring everyone, not going to classes. Oh my god. My parents are going to kill me." He looked over at John again.

"What the hell do I tell…?" He looked down at the floor, trying to get his breathing steady, and Bonnie reached over, knowing she needed to try to be comforting. At least Jeremy had known about the supernatural when everything had happened to him. At least he hadn't killed his friend.

As soon as she touched him though she was overrun by images that made no sense to her, a cave, a slab of stone with a mummified body lying on top. Eddie stared at her as she pulled away, rubbing her hand as she tried to figure out what had just happened. "What was that?" he asked, staring at her with wide eyes.

"I don't know," Bonnie replied honestly. "Have you been seeing things? Dreaming things?"

"Every night," Eddie told her. "There's a cave, that cave, but not that mummy. There's a man and he says I need to finish the map." He nodded toward his arm. "I don't know how though."

"You have to kill more," Sara said, finally speaking up and Bonnie looked over at her. Did they really have to be so blunt?

"I'm not killing anyone," Eddie shook his head, staring at her like she'd lost her mind.

"It's not like they're people," Sara told him, and Bonnie narrowed her eyes at that. "They already died, you're just making sure they can't go out and kill others. That's what they do."

"Not all of them," Bonnie replied, and Sara glanced over at her.

"Don't tell me you like vampires," she said her distaste obvious.

"Some of my friends are vampires." Though hopefully not for too long. Not if she could get the cure for them.

"Then I guess we'll make sure he doesn't kill those ones," Sara grinned, before looking around the dorm room again. "I think we should get going anyway. Valerie will be wondering where we are."

"You're leaving?" Eddie asked, his voice rising, obviously not liking the idea.

"Don't worry; we want you to come with us, unless you'd like to stay here in…this." She scrunched her nose at the surroundings.

"I don't…" Bonnie could hear the uncertainty in his voice and couldn't blame him at all.

"Why don't we at least get out of here and get food in you that's not ramen? And if you still want to stick with us after learning some more things then you can," Bonnie suggested, not wanting to push the guy. Being alone for a week with his dead friend had probably messed him up a bit.

"What about John?" Eddie asked as he rose and looked for a pair of shoes.

"I'll have someone take care of it," Sara replied, and Bonnie didn't like how she said that. Had a feeling they'd simply dispose of the body and be done with it, not giving John's family any kind of comfort or even an idea of what had happened to their son.

"You might want to change first, Eddie," Bonnie pointed out. She had a feeling he'd been wearing the same thing since the day he'd become a Hunter. "Shower?"

"Yeah, I'll be a few," he murmured grabbed some things from the dresser before heading into the attached bathroom.

Bonnie turned toward Sara as soon as she heard the shower start. "We are not going to just throw that body away. His parents need to be contacted."

"To what end?" Sara asked, already dialing a number on her phone. "Do you think it'll help them any? They won't know what he became. He'll become another statistic as will that one. It's not like he'll ever return to this place either with what his destiny is and that will start to kick in with the more vampires he kills." She pressed the phone to her ear and turned away from Bonnie to take her call.

Bonnie knew it was true. Hadn't Jeremy gotten stronger with each vampire he killed, the mark growing with each one, his need to slay vampires growing as well. The same would happen to Eddie, it  _needed_  to happen to him for everything else to happen. She looked at the mementos in the dorm, the photographs of him and his friends, the mathletes award that hung on the wall. All of this would be pushed aside, left behind, so that he could become embroiled in all the supernatural drama.

She wished it didn't have to be that way, that she could save him from the life she led, but Bonnie knew the only way for her to have a chance at getting the cure, at retrieving her grandma, at putting Klaus in his place was for this college kid to leave it all behind. Maybe afterward he could go back and get something close to normal, not quite what he had now, but better than what he was headed into.

Eddie stepped out of the bathroom, clean clothes and looking a lot less frantic as he toweled off his red hair. "Ready?" Bonnie asked, trying to stave off the guilt that wanted to eat away at her.

"As I'll ever be," Eddie told her, casting one last glance at his dead roommate as the three of them left the dorm, Sara still on the phone and giving directions on where his dorm was located for body disposal.

Bonnie hoped she had made the right decision, knowing nothing would ever be the same for him, probably for her too. Maybe close to normal was all any of them were allowed anymore but she had to believe that was better than nothing at all.

* * *

Tense didn't even begin to describe the current outing that Caroline was being forced to endure with Klaus. After the nightmare debacle from the night before she hadn't expected him to come traipsing into her room that morning, telling her to be ready in an hour. She probably should have expected it, having learned already that when Klaus had something in his sights he didn't give up on it all that easily. If ever.

But Caroline had seriously thought that he'd want as much space from her as possible.  _Something_  had upset him that night, had caused him to close himself off and push her away in that way only Klaus Mikaelson could do.  _Not_  that she wanted him opening up to her, but jeeze, he was really good at the whole one step forward and then taking a giant leap back when it came to interpersonal relationships. He sucked at them. There was definitely no denying that. Not that it was her job to fix that. It was on him.

She couldn't help but be annoyed that Stefan and Rebekah had declined going with them, part of her wondering why Stefan was willingly hanging out with the other blonde, but mostly annoyed that he was leaving her to fend with Klaus on her own. Then again, Stefan didn't know about either of her conversations with the Hybrid the other night so…nope. She was still annoyed.

That was why when Klaus brought her for a walk along the canal they were staying in front of she had purposefully kept a scowl on her face and not looked out at the frozen water. Not even his reminder that she was only punishing herself would have her glancing that way. Did he seriously expect her to be all sunshine and rainbows after how he had treated her the night before? Because nope. She did not work that way.

"I never did say thank you," Klaus started, and she glanced over at him, wondering what he was going on about. Was this some ploy to get her to look? Because she'd just keep her gaze on his face. Problem solved. "For last night. Coming in to see if I was alright."

"I'm pretty sure that by this point it should be more of a 'sorry I was an ass, Caroline' than a thank you," she told him, looking away again as they continued to walk.

"I have nothing to apologize for," Klaus replied, and she scoffed at that. Seriously?! "I had no interest in speaking to you about it and still do not but I thought it best to thank you for the fact of worrying over my well-being."

"It won't happen again," Caroline muttered, trying to get the hood of her coat to stay in place. All the better to hide the beauty that she was missing out on.

"As delightful as this masochistic streak of yours is, Caroline, I grow tired of it," Klaus informed her, tugging the hood back down and yanking her around so she would be forced to see the canal.

It was breathtaking. All of the old architecture standing across from them, the water frozen over and people were skating along it. Laughter rang in the air, mixed with languages she didn't know, but all of the tones were so overwhelmingly happy. She couldn't help but smile at it, couldn't stop herself from trying to soak it all in, even if she was there with  _him._  Even if it was Klaus who was telling her bits of history about the event going on, about a house across the street.

She tried to reel it in though, didn't want to make a big deal of it, and didn't want him to see her enjoying herself, knowing that was what he wanted to happen. He was right, she really was only punishing herself, but it made her feel less guilt to do that. Otherwise her guilt tried to overwhelm her, even when she wasn't entirely certain what she had to feel guilty about…aside from the fact that she was  _enjoying_  spending time with him. After all he did, all he still threatened to do, and she was able to feel joy and delight when she was in his presence. What did that say about her?

Caroline pulled away from him, needing the distance, to walk a little ahead and not have his voice bouncing around in her head, cataloguing all the wonders of the city to her. He walked after her, though she was thankful he didn't try to catch up right away as he could have, needing the time to collect her thoughts. "Shall we get something to eat?" Klaus asked as he finally did step up beside her. "You're looking a bit peckish."

"I'm not feeding from anyone," she murmured. It wasn't to the point where she'd need to feed yet anyway. She had two bags on the plane; she should be good for another day. And then she'd just drink a lot to stave it back. Plus try for some fries.

"I was thinking in more of the lines of a rare steak," Klaus replied, and she wanted to hit him for the amusement in his voice. "I even know the perfect place. They'll have those fries I know you love so much."

Caroline really didn't like that he knew her fry habit. Seriously, what else did he know about her? And more importantly how did he find it all out anyway? When she had said she wanted to be picked first by someone she really should have been more specific, added in a 'no thousand year old psychotic Hybrids' clause.

"This way," Klaus continued, guiding her toward a side street.

Eating with Klaus at a restaurant really wasn't something that Caroline wanted to do, but when he had mentioned a rare steak, her gums had ached a bit and she knew that ache wouldn't go away until it was satisfied a little. She highly doubted that the kitchen back at the house was stocked with anything aside from alcohol.

They bumped into a woman along the way and Caroline caught her before she could fall, murmuring an apology. She was surprised when the woman answered in English, even more surprised when the woman didn't let go of her hand, staring down at her new ring, the one she'd gotten in Louisiana. "Where do you get that?" the woman asked, and Caroline pulled her arm back, reaching out to hold onto Klaus.

She could feel how tense he was and she had no idea how he'd react to this woman, to her curiosity. "A friend gave me it," Caroline told her.

"For protection?" the woman asked, glancing between the two of them as though she was trying to figure something out.

"Curiosity is a very dangerous trait to have," Klaus warned, and Caroline tightened her hold, not surprised when the woman's eyes widened.

Maybe this woman knew something useful. Of course maybe she was someone who could do something not so useful to them, but Caroline was going to try and have the benefit of the doubt in this situation. "Yes."

"Caroline," Klaus started, his voice low, probably only audible to her ears.

"You should see Sanai. She owns a bar here and I bet she can help with that," the woman told her, offering a small smile. The door to the house behind them opened and out stuck a small head, grinning brightly at her.

"Mummy!" the little boy yelled and the woman headed toward him, scooping him up before he could descend the stairs.

She looked back at the two of them. "It's called De Gewonde Krijger. Put it in your phone and you should find it." And with that she disappeared.

Caroline stared at where the woman had been for a moment before releasing Klaus and holding out her hand for his phone. "Absolutely not," he told her, already steering her back toward the house.

"So we're  _not_  going to look into this lead? Because I'm pretty sure Sanai is the one we're looking for, right?" She was pretty sure that was the name that Zelda and Steven had mentioned.

"No,  _you're_  not going. I'll pick up Stefan and Rebekah and look into it," Klaus informed her, and Caroline shook her head. "Perhaps figure out where Kol ran off to since the idiot left his phone behind."

"Sure," Caroline murmured, shrugging as they walked. "I'll just stay behind in the house. All by myself. With some woman that was already interested in the ring on my hand. I mean granted she doesn't know where we're staying." Maybe pushing at his paranoia wasn't the best route to take. She really didn't want that woman or her son to get killed.

Klaus stopped walking, grabbing onto her arm and spinning her to face him. "If you step one foot out of my sight, Caroline," he warned her as he took his phone out of his pocket, calling Rebekah.

"Threats really don't work all that well on me. Especially from you." All they did was irritate her and give her more checks for the 'Klaus is an asshole' column. The other column pretty much had two checkmarks for 'can draw' and 'has good taste'.

"Be that as it may, I'd hate to need to come down this street again for a bite to eat. Something tells me that boy would be terribly upset if he lost his mother," Klaus murmured, turning from her to talk to Rebekah as she answered.

Caroline glared at his back, knowing he'd make good on that idea. She was so erasing those two nice checkmarks and adding more to the asshole column out of spite now. Hopefully going to this bar would help speed along the process so she could get as far away from Klaus as possible, could get back to Bonnie, figure out where Elena had gone, and hug her mom. And she could go back to waiting for Klaus to get over his ridiculous obsession with her even if she wasn't all that sure that was all it was anymore. She really didn't want to even try and contemplate what else it could be.

* * *

Kol isn't even the tiniest bit surprised to discover that the address for Sanai's coven leads him to a bar. If he hadn't been around witches before he probably would have gotten angry, figured the other witch led him astray, but Kol had been around his share of witches over the years. Preferred their company to others at times, and one thing he had noticed was that they enjoyed owning establishments like bars through the ages. It wasn't anything that required too much time on their part to run, usually had back rooms when they needed to run their own more secretive meetings, and for the most part those that frequented their places were too drunk to remember anything out of the ordinary happening.

Usually the places that witches owned allowed for the supernaturals in the area to have somewhere to go for entertainment as well. A place they could be more themselves and not worry too much about someone freaking out about what they were doing or cause problems because of what they were. Though it was always 50/50 on whether or not vampires would be welcomed as well.

Through the ages, it was less likely for witches to get called out for their practices when they were tied with where half of the town went for their alcohol. Not that many witches ever perished during the various inquisitions and witch hunts through the ages. It was rare for a true witch to be burned alive or endure the various tortures doled out unless they were fairly new or simply incompetent. Of course there were those martyrs who deliberately put themselves on the pyres, looking to start trouble or issue warnings. He always found those ones to be rather foolish, but it was always entertaining to watch them die, their power releasing back into the world.

Kol strode into the bar, not bothering to glance around as he headed to the bar. He could feel the gazes on him, most turning away after they got a glimpse of the new comer, but there were a few who continued to watch him. Those would be the ones to look out for. He slid onto a stool, and leaned forward, glancing over at the bartender.

She was fairly pretty and he could sense the power in her even from where he sat, watching her talk to two men on the other side of the bar. Not as much as the other witch he'd met last night, but decent enough. He couldn't quite deduce her age, something he'd had difficulty doing after living a few centuries. Everyone was young compared to his siblings and him, but figuring out precisely how young or old anyone else was had become tricky. Throw in the fact that some witches liked to play around with the aging process and it was a useless endeavor to try and determine age.

"What do you want?" she asked as she finally stopped in front of him, no kindness at all in her greeting.

Kol glanced at the rows of bottles displayed and pointed at one that hadn't been opened. "I'll have that." He knew better than to order from the tap. Too often witches enjoyed putting vervain in the lines and was in no mood for dealing with that annoyance.

She didn't budge, crossing her arms as she looked at him. "Just cut to the chase, vampire. What do you want?"

Seemed this establishment was part of the duller fifty percent. Pity that. "That's between me and Sanai, who I'm told is around here somewhere." He focused his hearing to pick up on the others heartbeats, on the happenings in the back room. No one's pulse rose, he didn't hear anyone trying to bolt. Good.

"Gonna need more information than that," the bartender told him, not budging from her stance, and Kol grinned. He liked that stubborn streak. Reminded him a bit of a few others he'd known through the ages.

"Tell her Kol Mikaelson is here. She might know me as the one who slaughtered all of Silas' followers a couple hundred years back." He really hoped he got to do that again. He'd been missing out on some good slaughtering opportunities while Nik had him locked away in that box.

Kol turned as someone slid onto the stool beside his, watching as the beauty next to him waved the bartender away. This one had power, more than either witch he had seen in the last day, more than Zelda. Her line was old and he wondered precisely how old the magic was that ran through her mocha colored skin. "Sanai?" he inquired, wondering if that was who he was speaking to. It'd jive with the fact she was supposed to be a powerful witch.

"Lucy," she replied, offered up a smile but he saw the insincerity in it. She didn't like him either. "We have seen the signs, we know that Silas is looking to rise and we're already working to stop that from coming to pass. So what is it that you want, Kol Mikaelson?"

"I quite like the world the way it is, as do my siblings, so we thought we'd give you a hand." Kol grinned, though it turned into a grimace at her laugh.

"Why would we want or need your help?" Lucy asked, holding up her hand when two others stepped forward, waving them back off to their seats.

She had to know she was playing with fire, speaking to him the way she was. He was the more volatile of the Original siblings; never quite sure what might set him off to chop off her pretty little head. "Considering we already disposed of the Hunter and at least one of those people trying to teach expression and did I not mention that I killed all of the followers the last time? Because I'm fairly certain that I did." Kol shrugged. "And it comes down to either you let us help or we force you to do so. Yes yes." He paused, motioning toward the group of witches rose from various spots in the bar. "You're quite powerful. I know that already, can feel it to my bones, but do you know who it is that they're grooming to be the conduit to all that expression magic that's being released?"

He wasn't 100% sure but Caroline and Stefan had mentioned that the Bennett witch was practicing it and considering Shane had apparently been teaching her, Kol was confident that she was the one. The witches paused at his words and Lucy frowned, clearly he knew something that they didn't.

"They found someone already?" From her tone, Kol had a feeling they weren't anticipating that already happening.

"And it's one from a very powerful line. One of the oldest if not  _the_  oldest." It always got tricky trying to figure out precisely which of the witch lines originated first, but there was no denying how powerful the Bennett line was.

"Who?" Lucy demanded, and he grinned, amused by the authority that she was conveying.

"I think I'll keep that one to myself until I see Sanai," Kol replied, resting his elbow against the bar as he grinned at her, thoroughly enjoying her discontent.

"Sanai is dead," Lucy told him and that was not what he wanted to hear. What the hell were these witches playing at? "She died a few months ago before everything started. This is my coven now and we need to know who."

"Not until I get a nice little binding answer that you'll allow us to help." Kol grinned, glancing over at the others scowling faces. He couldn't almost deduce what they were thinking, trying to come up with ways to get the information out of him. "I want Silas kept locked away as much as the rest of you, no desire to have that Veil destroyed, and I'm sure your witchy powers are quite adept at prying answers, but you might want to remember that I'm an Original. We're a bit different than your normal vampires."

Still no answer and Kol decided he was done playing nice and was out of his seat before they realized it. He didn't go for Lucy, knew he needed whatever information was stored in her head, but he grabbed a pool cue and with enough force impaled three of the witches through it, jamming the end into the wall on the other side as he picked up another cue. "I'm also more testy than most," Kol informed them, enjoying the startled cries and screams of the others.

He felt the pain spike in his head, knew they were trying to subdue him, and he forced himself toward the door. He didn't expect to see his siblings along with Stefan and Rebekah on the other side, but it was a welcomed sight.

"Not the one at the bar," he muttered as the three aside from Caroline flashed into the bar. "Not going to help out, darling?" He really shouldn't find the glare she directed at him to be so amusing, but he enjoyed how she tried so hard to fight off her true nature. It'd be delightful once she finally embraced what she had become. "Don't worry; we'll help you sharpen those fangs in no time."

A few moments later and everyone but Lucy was dead, her gaze a storm of anger and betrayal. "Stefan Salvatore," she muttered, and they all looked at her, Kol walking back inside and stepping over bodies.

"You were Katherine's witch," Stefan shook his head, uncertain as to why she was there.

"Of course that bitch is involved in this," Rebekah groaned, wiping blood off her hands.

"I don't work for her or any vampire anymore," Lucy replied, chin rising in defiance, forcing her gaze to remain on the vampires and not her dead friends.

"That will be changing," Klaus informed her, and Caroline finally stepped into the bar, heading toward Lucy.

"You're Bonnie's cousin, right? Sort of cousin. Her family?" Caroline asked, stopping when Klaus grabbed onto her arm, not letting her get close to Lucy. "She talked about you after that. Wondered about you. She thought you might come back and help her learn more about being a witch."

"You know Bonnie?" Lucy was watching her and Kol grinned, waking toward the witch.

"She's my best friend," Caroline replied, trying to wrench her arm from Klaus' grip. "Along with Elena. We've been friends since like almost birth. Preschool I think."

"What's your name?" Lucy looked her over, causing Klaus' grip to tighten and Caroline to struggle more.

"Caroline-" she tried to get out, Klaus yanking on her again to quiet her.

"I say we skip past these questions that have nothing to do with why we're here," Klaus insisted, and Kol arched a brow at that, amused at his brother's protectiveness of the girl. He really needed to look more into what was going on in his brother's head with that.

"Bonnie  _is_  why we're here! Or part of why I'm here," Caroline pulled at her arm, and Kol leaned back against the bar, enjoying their struggle.

"You'll have to excuse their little tug of war," Kol murmured, and hopped over the bar. "Though the sexual tension between them is quite fun to watch play out." He laughed at the simultaneous looks of annoyance cast at him by the two of them. Adorable.

"Can you help her so these idiots don't try and kill her?" Caroline continued, and Kol sighed, knowing she would be giving away who was becoming the conduit.

"Why does Bonnie need any help?" Lucy asked, and Kol raised up a finger at a time as he waited for the realization to dawn on her. "She's the one they're using to control expression?"

"Perhaps," Kol murmured, grabbing a few bottles from the rack. "And it seems that you're down some members of your coven." Not all of them. There hadn't been enough in the bar to make a complete coven. "Looks like we're going to need to work together after all."

He tossed a bottle toward Rebekah, grinning when she caught it. He would have thrown one to his brother, but considering Klaus still had a firm grip on the baby vampire, Kol thought it best not to do so.

"Though we might want to move this meeting of the minds to another location," Kol suggested as he hopped back over the bar. "Unless you'd like us to keep on killing anyone who happens to walk inside."

The pain erupted in his head again and he dropped the bottles he was still holding, falling to his knees at the intensity. "Rebekah, do not touch her," Klaus warned, and Kol knew that he would stop their sister if necessary. "We do need her alive."

"You do not control me. No vampire gets to control me anymore," Lucy told him, and Rebekah headed toward her, but she was thrown backward toward the wall as were the rest of them, their bodies pressed to it by an invisible force.

Kol tried to stand, intent on knocking her off her feet, anything to break the hold she had on them, but she only increased the pain in his head. "I will kill you, witch," Klaus threatened, and Kol knew by his brother's tone how serious that threat was.

Kol was flung to the wall beside his family and Lucy walked over toward the group, stopping in front of them. "Maybe I will need your help and maybe you do need mine, but I have no intention of working with any of you. Not after that ridiculous display of power." She looked back at her fallen friends and then back at the vampires. "I'll talk to Bonnie's friend but only her. I'll contact you in a few days when we've all gotten over our murderous thoughts."

She strode out of the bar and the spell that kept them locked against the wall kept up for a few minutes, no doubt giving her enough time to leave the area and return to a protected place. As soon as it released, Klaus had grabbed Caroline's arm. "Back to the house, now," he ordered, flashing away with the two of them before anyone could speak.

"He's going to be a joy to be around," Rebekah muttered, crossing her arms as Kol headed back to the bar. " _What_  are you doing?"

"Might as well take some for the road. We're going to need it if we have to deal with him," Kol replied, picking up a few more bottles and grinned when Stefan joined him.

"He's got a point, Rebekah," the Salvatore murmured. "You know how much Klaus doesn't like someone else having any control."

"Top shelf only, boys," Rebekah sighed, and Kol grinned.

Maybe it hadn't gone precisely how he wanted, maybe he had angered a very powerful witch, but at least he'd had some fun and got to take part in some good old fashioned slaughter. Even if it had played out too quickly in his opinion. Rather nice day for him, even if they were sure to deal with a highly irritated Nik once they did return to the house.

 


	10. Chapter 10

_never forget:  
_ _we walk on hell,  
_ _gazing at flowers. **  
**___**Kobayashi Issa**

* * *

"Let me go!" Caroline demanded, trying not to stumble backward when Klaus finally complied, slamming the door shut behind them. He had kept a tight grip on her arm as he flashed them across the city and away from Lucy, continued to keep it all the way into the house as he dragged her up the stairs and to the room she had claimed as her own. "So now what? You're going to try and lock me away in this room or something because  _newsflash_  I can so just break the hell out."

She would break the window and jump if she had to. There was no way she was staying inside, not when she could help, not when meeting up with Lucy could mean a quicker end to everything and she could try to get back to her normal life. Or as close to normal as she could possibly get anymore.

Caroline stepped back when she saw Klaus' eyes dilate, had a feeling she knew what he was going to try and do and she clenched her eyes shut, trying to kick him when he grabbed her arms again. "Don't you dare," she growled, pushing him back with all of her strength.

It sent the two of them crashing into the wall and she could hear the wood splinter as his back hit it. "Don't think for a second that I won't do whatever I can to make certain that you're safe, Caroline," he told her and she tried to hit him, tried to scrape her nails against his face, anything to get away from him.

"Why the hell is it so important that I'm safe?" Her voice rose with every word, nearing hysterics. She didn't understand why that was something he was so adamant about. Shouldn't he be throwing her to the wolves now? Manipulating her to get Lucy on their side. Something,  _anything,_ except this weird need for her to be safe and alive.

His grip faltered at her question, letting her go as she wrenched backward, stumbling away from him. Caroline peered through the hair that had fallen in front of her face, ready to shut her eyes if he tried compulsion, but she needed to look at him right then. Klaus' face was a mask of emotions, ones she couldn't quite determine. Confusion, uncertainty, and then rage she didn't think she had ever seen on him before.

"Do you think I want this?" he demanded, and Caroline found herself pressed against the far wall before she could even blink.

He was too close, his nose inches from her own and his arms boxing her in against the wall. "I considered killing you a time or two since Kol took you. First it was simply let him destroy you, toss you lifeless to the side of the road and I'd never have to worry about what you're causing inside of me. Or let the witches who entered your dreams take hold of you, turn you into that doll you so fear becoming," he began and she shivered at the thought, flinching when Klaus brushed a strand of hair off her face. "I could rip your heart out right now and end it all. Do you know how easy it would be? It'd barely take any effort at all."

She kept her hands at her side, not wanting to touch him. He was already close enough as it was, she didn't want to feel the rage that was coursing through his body. It was enough that she could smell it, could see it in the way he looked at her, rage mixed with something she was not giving name to. It was so much easier when it was lust. She could deal with that from him. Lust was easy to turn down, to manipulate, but the way he looked at her now frightened her to the very core.

That was a look that meant he wasn't going to give up. Not ever. And how long was she supposed to run from the immortal Hybrid? Forever? She didn't know if she could handle running from him for that long, pushing him away for that long. As stubborn as she was, Caroline knew that Klaus was just as stubborn, but he also knew far more about waiting than she did. He had way more practice at it.

"Then do it." Not that she wanted to die. It was the last thing she wanted, but she really needed him to stop looking at her like that.

This was not how her fantasy of being someone's first choice was supposed to play out. How had it all become so twisted and wrong? Probably had something to do with the fact she was a vampire. Instead of roses and chocolates she was receiving dead friends and tortured loved ones.

Klaus rubbed a thumb against her cheek and she froze, not liking the gesture, wanting him away far away from her again. "No," he told her, breath ghosting along her face and Caroline shoved him away, knowing he wouldn't have budged if he hadn't allowed it.

She could not handle that conversation right then. Would prefer to never finish it if she had her way. She needed to take back some control and steer it elsewhere. "I'm not staying in this room forever. You know that won't work. We need that witch—Lucy." That was her name, right? Caroline was 95% certain that was correct. The events of the last week or so were catching up with her and sometimes Caroline wasn't entirely sure which way was up any longer. "And she'll only talk to me. So you know I have to go."

"I won't be allowing you to leave my sight," Klaus replied, his tone hard and Caroline knew he wouldn't compromise on that. Whatever. She just wanted him  _out_  of her room and away from her. She needed time to wrap her head around things or to distract her mind from everything. All she knew for certain was that she really needed him to go.

"Then I guess you'll be coming with me." Like the witch really thought she'd get everything she was demanding. Well, no, maybe she did, but it seemed like they were all going to need to try and compromise their demands.

The front door opened and Caroline heard the others walk inside, Kol chatting about the alcohol he had procured and how they should really all get a bite to eat soon. Just the mention of it reminded Caroline that she hadn't eaten since the plane and she was craving blood. Unlike the others she hadn't fed on any witches.

She glanced back at Klaus, trying to keep her cravings under control, to not let him see how hungry she was, but like he'd been doing too often lately, he seemed to be able to see right through her act. "Freshen up, sweetheart. If you're to see the witch in a few days I can't have you hungry and weak," Klaus informed her, heading toward the door.

She didn't like the sound of any of that, had a feeling that getting her need for blood satiated wouldn't equal breaking into a hospital to steal some blood bags. "I'm not killing anyone," Caroline muttered, adamant about that. Just because it felt good when she'd done it didn't mean it was right. Not everything that felt good was right.

Klaus turned back toward her, arching his brows at her as he grinned, entirely too smug for her liking. "That's the problem with having Stefan teach you about vampirism, Caroline, about only ever seeing what's inside your tiny little town. You know nothing of our world. Only of the human one. I think it's time you opened your horizons a little, opened your eyes and truly embrace all that you've become."

She glared at him, trying not to show any reaction to his words, even as she wondered about what he was referring to, about how there could be some other world. They lived in the same damn world. There was no human one and a separate supernatural one. It was all one. Except she knew it wasn't. Once she had learned of witches her view on the world had altered slightly. Becoming a vampire had altered it even more but she had been clinging to her old life, to how things used to be, trying to keep the rest of it from creeping into her world. Even as it kept on coming, first with the other vampires coming into town, the werewolves, and then the Originals. Each one putting another crack in the world that was Mystic Falls and this latest one with Silas and the cure and all of it had been the last straw. The last week or so had finally broke the walls that she had been trying so hard to keep up, to keep out everything else.

There was no use in that anymore. Not with all she had seen so far, not with the few bits she had learned since Kol had abducted her, and Caroline knew there wasn't any going back to Mystic Falls after all that had happened. She would never be content there now, not when she had finally glimpsed the world and all it could offer. How was she supposed to go back to planning committees and school and all of that? The only thing that would have any draw to her was her mother, Liz Forbes was the only thing that would tie her back to that town, but Caroline knew her mother wouldn't be there forever. She kind of wished her mom wasn't there right then, that she was somewhere safe, not that Caroline even knew where would be safe anymore.

All Caroline knew was that she had two options. She could let all of the changes overwhelm her, cause her to cower and try to hide again from the world or she could embrace it and work to hold onto the core of who she was even as she learned to live in a world she was only just beginning to really see.

It scared her and thrilled her all at the same time.

"Don't worry," Klaus started, smirking and she didn't like that, didn't like that she knew he was about to say something that saw into her and rankled her all at the same time. "I'll be there to guide you the whole way. Be ready in an hour."

She threw the nearest thing to her, some old vase that was probably older than her, fuming as he closed the door, the vase smashing against the wall. God, he was infuriating.

Caroline could hear the others downstairs talking, the heated conversation beginning between Kol and Klaus, Rebekah piping in to egg them both on. The knock on her door a moment later explained why she hadn't been hearing Stefan's voice. "It's open," she called out, trying to regain her composure.

Stefan peeked in, arching a brow at the broken vase. "I wanted to make sure he didn't do anything to you."

Caroline shrugged. Like Stefan could really stop Klaus from doing anything. "Apparently we're all going to go out for a  _bite_  to eat now." Stefan frowned at that, hearing her emphasis on bite and she knew that he knew what she was referring to. "You're not going."

They both knew what could happen with Stefan being around human blood like that. Not that she even knew exactly what was going to happen or really even what Klaus was referring to, but she didn't want to chance Stefan becoming the Ripper. That was so not allowed to happen on her watch.

"Caroline," Stefan started and she shook her head.

"I can handle, Klaus." Sort of. Maybe. "And I can handle whatever and wherever he's going to throw at me. I've got the best control out of like all of us, right?" Wasn't that what they were always telling her? That they were always amazed by her amount of control, under some belief that it all came so easy to her. If only they knew how wrong they were on that. It wasn't easy, it could be a struggle a lot of days, but it was her choice and like hell was she letting anyone take her choices from her again.

"We never should have gotten you to play the part," Stefan murmured, and Caroline looked away then, not able to handle the guilt on her friend's face. "To keep on being the distraction."

"If wishes were horses and all." She shrugged. "It's fine." It wasn't really, but they couldn't exactly change it. She just needed to figure out how to manipulate all of it for her benefit as well. To help protect those that she loved and hopefully not lose her mind in the process. "I need to get ready, Stefan."

He didn't move for a moment, staring at her long and hard as if he were trying to pick out the right words to say. "No matter what, just remember who you are, Caroline," he told her and she nodded, watching him leave the room.

That was part of the problem, wasn't it? Exactly who was she now? That was something she had been trying to really figure out for a while and every time she thought she had an idea, that she had created the perfect plan to follow to become who she wanted to be another wrench was thrown into the mix and she was thrown for a loop, unsure which way was up. But that was fine. She would make it through that, just like she would make it through whatever Klaus was planning on showing her.

Like Scarlett O'Hara would say,  _After all…tomorrow is another day_  and Caroline was always a big believer in that, felt it was her life's motto. She would persevere. No matter what was thrown at her next.

* * *

The signs were beginning to show up everywhere, invading her dreams, those of her covens, and cropping up in the news as well. If one didn't know where to look for them or what to look for it wouldn't have been anything all that foreboding, but her family had been raised on the myth of Silas for generations, part of the Coven who had worked to eradicate the group of followers that had cropped up centuries before. They were always on the lookout for another group to be built, always waiting for the signs to appear. Each generation hoping that it wouldn't happen, each breathing a sigh of relief when another decade went by without any murmurings of his rise.

"I was wondering when you would call," Amaiya greeted as she answered the phone, not surprised that Lucy was reaching out to her. She had known the transition into being leader had been a hard one for the other girl; that Lucy was still getting her footing after Sanai's death, but it was pretty much sink or swim at the moment and Amaiya was confident that the other woman would swim. After all they were distantly related; cousins removed who even knew how many times, but both descending from the witch Ayana.

"We've hit a slight snag over here," Lucy told her and Amaiya frowned, thankful that none of her kids were with her on this shopping trip. She really didn't want to worry them and had a feeling this conversation would do just that.

"What happened?" Amaiya asked as she stopped at the red light.

"The Original family is in town. They killed a number of the coven and want to play a part in what happens next." Lucy's distaste in vampires was evident in her tone.

"If I recall correctly one of them was the reason that the first cult was wiped off the earth, Luce." Would it hurt to get that extra power to back up what needed to be done? As long as they were intent on keeping Silas down like the rest of them, she wasn't seeing the problem with using their strength. As long as they could control them. That might really be the issue.

"I don't work with vampires, Amaiya. You know that." Burned once and all that. She couldn't really blame Lucy. Working with vampires seemed to be the best way to either end up dead or with all of one's loved ones dying. Nothing good ever really seemed to come of working with or for them.

"It's getting worse and you know it. We're all going to need to do things we would rather not when it comes down to it." Sacrifices would need to be made on all of their parts. A little uncomfortableness in regards to partnering up was the least of their worries. "Working with them to get what we need and stop who we need to doesn't mean you have to like them or enjoy it. Just means you need to do your part."

"There's more." Lucy sighed on the other end of the call. "And this part is…the one they have for channeling all the power? It's Bonnie Bennett."

"What?" Amaiya didn't mean to slam on the breaks at that, silently waving an apology to the car that skidded to a halt behind her as she started driving again. The last  _direct descendant_ to the Bennett line being that funnel was not good, it was the exact opposite of good. How had they even roped her into that?

"I don't think she has a clue what she's doing, 'Maiya. When I met her she didn't want anything to do with any of this. But I sensed that good in her. This…this isn't her choice." Amaiya didn't really find any of that comforting. A manipulated Bonnie wasn't exactly promising either.

"You focus on your tasks, Lucy. I'll get my Coven to figure out where she's at," Amaiya told her. The sooner the better. Maybe they could break the hold that the followers had over the girl. No doubt the damn Valerie was behind it. She was a constant thorn in their side and needed to be dealt with. "I just got into the driveway. I'll call you later after I talk to the Coven."

She hung up and took the Bluetooth out of her ear, throwing it into her purse as she popped the trunk. Amaiya went through the list of possible locations Valerie and her group could be based on what all her Coven had been tracking as she headed toward the door. "If you want me to make dinner I'm going to need help unloading the car," she called out as she entered the house, freezing as soon as she stepped inside.

There were bloody footprints on the floor, a streak of it along the wall as if someone had run their hand across it. She should have turned around and gotten back into the car, headed to the next Coven member's house with all that was going on, but she couldn't do it. Her kids were home and she needed to know what had happened to them, to know if they were alright or not.

She followed the blood trail, uncertain what she would find but ready to let out some witch power once she figured it out. Whatever she expected it wasn't to find her teen daughters draped across the kitchen table, her son on the floor. She ran toward them, falling at her knees at the youngest, and reaching forward to find a pulse, anything to indicate that they were alive. But there was nothing.

Amaiya picked up the bloody knife that lay beside her son, wondering who would have done such a thing.

"Don't worry. They're not dead-dead," a voice started behind her, and Amaiya whirled around, sending out the spell and watching with some satisfaction as the woman behind her snarled, clutching her head as pain erupted through it. "Katherine?"

But why would that vampire…it didn't make sense. She nicked herself on the knife and dropped it, letting it clang onto the floor beside her. Amaiya didn't expect the set of fangs that tore into her hand to come from behind her, and she faltered, falling back as she realized that her eldest had been turned.  _No._

"I figured out that she was the only one who got your  _gift_ ," the Katherine lookalike said. "And I'm supposed to end the lines. Make it so that even if they do come back they won't have access to the magic. So now she's like me and has no access to magic."

Amaiya flinched at that, knowing that this wasn't some random attack. This had been planned, orchestrated even and she had a feeling she knew exactly by whom. She needed to tell the Coven, needed to give Lucy a warning. They had no clue what was happening.

"And my name is Elena. Not Katherine."

The vampire stepped forward, pushing Amaiya's daughter off of her as she ripped into her own wrist before forcing blood down Amaiya's throat. In a quick motion she snapped the witch's neck. "And now, neither will you." Elena looked over at the fledgling one who looked absolutely famished. "Eat your sister but try to leave the boy for her when she wakes up. I have another house to go see."

There was no rest for her. Not until she completed her tasks, one by one, and maybe then she would finally be put out of her misery.

* * *

Nearly fifteen hours and over $1200 later, Liz Forbes landed in Amsterdam. She had spent the time in the Richmond airport contacting the few people she had known through Bill before they had broken up, the ones who she had remained in contact with even when she had tried to keep her focus on her hometown instead of the outside world. A few phone calls later and she had a contact in the city who was supposed to be picking her up and helping her hopefully locate her daughter.

It was making sure that the contact didn't do anything that could end up harming Caroline that Liz was most worried about. Most in Bill and Steven's line of work didn't care for vampires, would take on the same stance as Steven had and want Caroline put down. They wouldn't accept that being a vampire hadn't changed her little girl, they'd only see a monster and the last thing Liz wanted to do was bring her daughter any more pain.

Her goal was to get her away from the Originals and after that she wasn't exactly certain. Back to Mystic Falls might not be the best idea. Maybe she could get Caroline some money out of her savings and get her daughter to go hide somewhere. As much as Steven's worry about something else that was going on, something she had been picking up on with Bonnie and Elena missing, with the Originals looking into something that she didn't know about, Liz' biggest concerns were in regards to Klaus' intentions towards her daughter.

Liz had seen how he treated his hybrids, his siblings, everyone else in town. She had seen Stefan's troubled expression when she had mentioned that Caroline was with Klaus, Damon's as well. She didn't want Caroline anywhere near that volatile creature. One bad moment and he could snuff out her daughter's life in the blink of an eye.

She departed the plane with the other passengers, heading out into the airport terminal and toward baggage claim. A woman held a sign with her name on it and Liz headed toward her, taking note of her surroundings as she did so. It never hurt to be a little careful. Though she did trust her friends in regards to her own life. Just not Caroline's.

"Liz Forbes?" the woman asked with a smile as she lowered the sign, her accent was heavy but understandable. "I am Frigga and Sam asked me to offer you assistance in finding your daughter."

"Yes." Liz followed the woman out of the airport. She didn't have any luggage, there hadn't been any time to pack, and had simply bought a suitcase at the Target near Steven's house and thrown some clothes into it so all she had was her carry-on. "I'm not even sure she's still here but it's the last known whereabouts for her."

If they had followed Steven's information which Liz was counting on them doing. She was at a loss on what to do if they hadn't. "But she was traveling with a group of others. That I need to get her away from."

"Did she go with them willingly?" Frigga asked as they got headed toward her car.

"No." It had definitely not been willing.

"Who is she with? That might help me to locate her," Frigga nodded toward the car. "There has been a bit of a spike in supernatural activity in Amsterdam over the last week so if she is here and it's with someone with a bit of a profile that will make it easier. If not then we can circulate some of the hotspots."

Liz deposited the carryon in the backseat and got into the passenger's, waiting for Frigga to start the car. She hadn't ever heard of the Originals before they headed into town, even with all of the Founder's Council's lore on vampires, they hadn't ever cropped up. She wondered if the other woman would have any idea about them. Bill had seemed to know of them after she had filled him in more on what was happening in the town, after she had threatened him with death if he  _ever_  came near their daughter again with the stunt he had pulled. But he hadn't been all that forthcoming with his information and she hadn't tried prying it out of him, more concerned with Caroline's well-being.

"She's with the vampires known as the Originals." Guess she'd see how well-known they were in the rest of the world.

Frigga's grip on the steering wheel tightened, her knuckles becoming white with the strain. "They are a myth."

"Believe me, they're not. They've been terrorizing my town for the last year." Give or take a few months.

"If they are true and they are here, I know the witch who will know all about their whereabouts. We shall go see Lucy." Frigga sighed, turning on her blinker. "Your daughter certainly knows how to pick her trouble."

Liz sighed, looking out at window. "You have no idea."

* * *

Compelling the car from their neighbor had been an easy enough task, one that Klaus had carried out by the time Caroline had ventured out of her room, ready to go. He'd half expected that he would need to go into it and drag her out, force her to come along and do as he suggested, but once again she had surprised him. Something he quite enjoyed when it came to the baby vampire. He could never be quite certain how she would react all the time. Sometimes he knew precisely how she would behave, but every so often she threw him for a loop and he savored those moments.

Stefan and Rebekah were staying in, and as much as he would have enjoyed prying out Stefan's fun side, he preferred to not have their company. It was bad enough that Kol was tagging along. Even worse that he wouldn't stay still in the back seat of the sedan and continued to lean forward for attention. Whether from himself or from Caroline.

He really should have grabbed a dagger or two before leaving Mystic Falls.

"I want your phone," Caroline piped up finally, the first words she'd spoken since they had gotten in the car.

"My my, she's a demanding little thing, isn't she, Nik?" Kol murmured, strumming his fingers on the arm rest in between the two front seats.

"You said I could call my mom. I haven't done that yet." Klaus had to hand it to her for ignoring his brother's obvious jabs. Something he wasn't all that good at doing.

Klaus fished the phone out of his pocket and handed it over. "Do you know how to dial a number overseas, Caroline?"

"Nope." He enjoyed the way the p popped when she said it, showcasing her annoyance with him. "But since you said you'd be along to help  _guide me_  I'm sure you'll offer up that lovely little bite of wisdom."

Klaus grinned at that, easily relaying what she needed to dial first before the number she wanted to call. No doubt it was her mother; he knew she hadn't contacted her while he had been around. Of course she could have when he had gone on his relaxing little outing with the blonde and her friends, but considering Caroline still didn't know how to dial internationally he highly doubted that was the case. He glanced at her out of the corner of his eyes as he continued to drive, watching her worry her bottom lip with her teeth as she waited for an answer.

He could almost taste her disappointment when she lowered the phone into her lap. "It says she's not in service."

Curious. "You can try again later." He held out his hand for the phone, pleased that she handed it over to him, even if he didn't like how forlorn she looked.

"So where are we headed?" Kol asked, popping in between the seats again and Klaus grimaced, wishing he had left his brother behind. "We left Amsterdam a couple of miles ago."

"Haarlem. We should be there in about twenty minutes," Klaus replied, knowing that wouldn't be enough for Kol. "I have an old friend out there who is still running an establishment that she's had since the 1980s. Think, Turkey in the 1800s."

"I quite enjoyed Turkey then. We got along smashingly," Kol nodded with approval. "Of course that was before you got miffed over something or the other and I left for half a decade to avoid your dagger fetish."

"You called attention to us with your antics." Something they couldn't afford with Mikael always a step or two behind them. Something that Kol never seemed to be able to get through his thick skull.

"I was just having a bit of fun," Kol replied, and reached over to touch Caroline's hair.

Klaus narrowed his eyes, ready to slam on the breaks, but she smacked his brother's hand away. "I'd say we could all have a wonderfully good time but Nik doesn't like to share until he's bored," Kol murmured as he sat back. "Pity he doesn't look like he'll be getting bored of you anytime soon."

"Another word, Kol," Klaus warned, eyeing his brother through the rearview mirror.

"Yes, yes, my liver and all," Kol laughed, strumming his fingers along the seat.

Klaus gripped the steering wheel tighter, his entire body on edge because of his brother and his statements. There wasn't any fear from Caroline though and he glanced toward the girl, noting that she looked bored of the conversation. Perhaps she had learned to mostly ignore whatever came out of his brother's mouth or maybe it was all an act. Though he didn't smell any fear from her. He did note that she was purposefully not looking at him, her gaze on anything but him, no doubt playing back to their conversation in her room only a few hours before.

The same one that still played out in his head, confusing him and irritating him all in one go. He'd need to find someone to entertain Kol once they arrived at their destination. Klaus needed to have some private time with the girl and he was not about to let anything stop him from getting it. Least of all his little brother.

* * *

"You're sure this will give us some more insight into everything?" Stefan looked around at the old books that Rebekah had scattered on the table.

At first when she had suggested they do their own recon mission for the cure, he had thought she might have drank a little too much of the alcohol they had taken and once he had realized she was serious he definitely hadn't expected their mission to end with them at the university library.

"I think it's infinitely better than us relying solely on what the witches are telling us." Rebekah didn't bother looking up from the text she was carefully flipping through.

All of the books she had picked out were from a couple hundred years back, all had been either on display behind glass for eyes only, or in one of the back rooms. Only to be taken out by those with special permission and who knew how to properly handle them. He could read a few of the books, knowing some of the languages, but the older ones were all up for her to translate.

"Do you honestly think any of them are going to give the entire picture of what's happening? Witches are all about the balance, Stefan, and considering what my mother was hell-bent on doing only a few months ago, we upset the balance." She skimmed her finger along one line of text, pausing for a second as she furrowed her brow. "You would think that would have them clamoring to get the cure, to force it down our throats so they could restore the balance. Yet, they're not. Seems rather…what's the saying nowadays? Fishy? I believe that's it."

Stefan couldn't discount that she raised a good point. But he also thought the fact that the witches they had run into weren't advocating them finding the cure probably meant that Silas really was a big threat, that what they all feared was coming to pass really could equal the end of the world as they knew it. There just hadn't been an explanation for why the cure was tied into Silas.

From what Shane had told them Stefan knew that the Silas myth had originated before the Originals were even born, so how could a cure that was apparently with him do anything to vampires? Silas might have been immortal but it never said anything about him drinking blood in the mythology that Shane had been telling them. There were so many unanswered questions and he did want answers because Rebekah had been right. If there was a chance to get the cure without bringing Silas into the world then he did want it. Even if Elena wouldn't take it, even if it didn't do anything to help her, in the end Stefan wanted it for himself.

"Maybe they're not clamoring for it because getting it means releasing Silas," Stefan suggested, closing the book he had been looking through and reached to pick up another one. He watched Rebekah tense at that idea, had a feeling she had been trying to bury that option deep down, not wanting to face that it might be the reality of the situation.

"Always so pessimistic, aren't you?" she muttered, slamming one of the books and breaking its spine. The library was really not going to like that. "Why would Alexander have known of it then? If it was something they wanted locked away to never see the light of day, why would they have let others know about it? We knew nothing of the cure until he came into our lives."

Stefan didn't know what to say to that. He knew Alexander was a touchy subject for Rebekah and couldn't blame her for that considering how that relationship had played out. "But then why didn't they use that on you instead of the daggers?"

"They didn't have it. The map led to it, I don't know why they never followed it there and like my brother told you, once they were dead the map was gone and we never heard a whisper about the Brotherhood ever again." Rebekah trailed her fingers along the rest of the books. "But they knew of it. They were created to put an end to us and they knew of the cure, they had the map on their bloody bodies, Stefan. If the daggers hadn't worked—which they didn't in the end—but if they had been able to get away with their lives then I'm certain that would have been what they went after next as their option."

Stefan frowned, thinking it all over. If that had been their next option, and she made a good case for it being so, then she was right. The cure would have to be something they could have gotten without waking the other immortal, right? Unless the witch who created the Brotherhood hadn't cared about waking him. But considering what his rise seemed to bring about, Stefan couldn't see many witches being okay with that. It was a puzzle and one he didn't think they would really figure out until they actually got their hands on the cure.

"So what are you expecting from this study session, Rebekah? You think one of them will just happen to mention the cure?" He really wasn't sure it was something they were going to find in the texts on the table.

"Considering I've already found countless mentions of my family, though not all of them accurate and most of them quite distorted even in their bits of truth, yes, I do. So quit your complaining, and look through the ones you can actually make heads or tails of." Rebekah shoved another book toward him. "Nik may be occupied for a few hours trying to entertain Caroline and failing miserably, but he won't be gone forever, and I'd like to be back at the house as if we hadn't gone anywhere well before he returns."

Stefan flinched at the idea of Caroline with Klaus, knowing she was going somewhere she really had no frame of reference for. He worried for how she would react to it, what all Klaus would try to make her do, but Caroline was stubborn. He knew she could hold her own. He just hoped that the two butting heads wouldn't end in bloodshed. Or at least not hers.

He picked up the book Rebekah had picked out for him and sighed, leaning back to try and get comfortable as he started looking for any mention to a cure in the myths and legends of whatever region he was currently reading about in regards to vampires. It was definitely like finding a needle in a haystack but Rebekah was right, his pessimism wasn't helping. Her blind hope was going to end up wrecking her though if nothing came from their research and he really wasn't looking forward to that if the outcome wasn't one that she wanted.

* * *

Elijah had been trying to ignore the sinking feeling that had been expanding inside of him since he had taken Katherine to Italy. He had wanted to try again, to rekindle the fire that had never fully extinguished for either of them. With Klaus focused on his hybrids and his other siblings finally undaggered and living their lives…aside from Finn, but there was nothing to do for that brother anymore, it had seemed time for him to focus on his own happiness.

No longer did he need to hunt down Klaus to try and locate where their siblings were located. Nor did he need to run from his father or try to make up for his own mistakes in the past with Klaus. He could live as he saw fit and do as he pleased and what Elijah had wanted most was a chance with his Katerina.

He hadn't been sure she would want the same after everything they had endured together. The chase, the hunt, compelling her to the tomb and everything in between, along with her own lies and betrayals. But when he had tracked her down in New Orleans she had been pleased to try again as well, both of them working to pick up at some point where they had left off.

But the text messages had started to crop up. The ones she tried to answer quickly and then flashed him that smile, the one meant to distract, to manipulate. It was nothing like the one he had grown to enjoy back before her life had altered; that almost innocent one when he had known her as a human. Elijah knew too much had happened, too much time had passed since those days for her ever to truly be that girl again, but he wondered if she was in there somewhere at all.

She'd been a survivor back then, he'd sensed that, but this manipulation, this malice he saw in her interactions with others hadn't been there. Or perhaps he'd been too enamored to see it then. Not that it changed how he felt for her, how he desired to have her in his bed, at his side.

But the secrets from him,  _that_ he could not,  _would not_  abide.

He found Katherine out by the pool; saw her tuck the phone back under the towel as she sensed his approach. The fact she rose and pressed her body up against his in greeting only solidified in his mind that she was hiding things from him.

"No secrets, was that not what we promised this time around?" Elijah asked, staring down at her as he grabbed hold of her wrists. He didn't hold them tightly, but kept a firm grip on them, the disappointment evident in his voice, his gaze.

"I could say the same to you, Elijah," Katherine replied, pulling away from him and he allowed her to do so, crossing his arms as he regarded her.

"I have been nothing but honest with you since we met in New Orleans." He had no secrets. Not anymore.

"Then how come I found out about a cure for vampirism from a nobody in Mystic Falls instead of  _you_?" she demanded and he blinked, wondering for a moment what she was going on about.

He hadn't thought of the cure in centuries, had given up on it being an actual reality long ago. "What do you know of the cure?" he didn't mean it to sound like an accusation, but Katherine Pierce knowing of the cure was probably  _not_ a good thing. Nor was anyone from Mystic Falls. Elijah held up a hand before she could reply, seeing her indignant expression. "I haven't heard talk of a cure in more centuries than I can remember, Katherine. I honestly have not thought about it almost as long as that. It is not something I would have brought up because it isn't something I believe to truly exist."

"Then why are your sister and your brothers currently on a mission to try and get it?" she continued, pausing as she watched him. She must have seen the confusion in his expression because she seemed to let her guard down a little and stepped toward him. "You had no idea, did you? Did you know that Klaus had daggered Rebekah again? She's obviously not anymore, but he had done so."

Elijah clenched his fists at the thought of that. He should have taken the damn daggers with him but when it all had been going down with Alaric getting out of town had been the priority and then with Niklaus' supposed death…he hadn't desired to return to the town. The phone call from his brother letting him know he was fine had been enough. Elijah had needed the space from the family drama and wanted to do his own thing. How he wished Rebekah had been strong enough to get away from Klaus as well and head off to have her own life.

But she had always needed one of them around, wanted to be with one of them when they traveled, usually choosing Klaus and even when she didn't eventually their little sister always found her way back to him.

"What if we could get it first, Elijah? You know he'll want it for Elena since she's a vampire," Katherine told him, reminding him of that news he hadn't responded all that well to either. "So he can turn her back into a human and create more hybrids. It's going to be her or me, and I have no intention of giving up immortality with you." She reached up and brushed her fingers against his cheek. "But what if we get it first and bargain for my freedom? So that we don't have to hide from him, always worried about what he might do if he finds us?"

"Katherine," Elijah sighed, shaking his head. He couldn't go against his family in such a way. If they were looking for the cure he should call them and figure out exactly what was happening.

"Why don't we deserve our chance at happiness, Elijah?" she asked, pulling away from him. "Why does it always revolve around him?"

She grabbed her things and headed toward the house, leaving him alone with his thoughts.

Family above all, wasn't it? Always and forever? Somewhere along the way those phrases had become skewed and Elijah didn't know if they would ever truly be what they were supposed to ever again. He stared out at the pool, watching the rays of sunlight dance along the water's surface and sighed again, knowing he had a lot to think about, a lot to consider. What was the right path this time?

Back at the house Katherine looked out the window, watching Elijah as he contemplated all that had been revealed. She grinned and plucked her phone out from under the towel, sending off a message. The doubt had been set in his head and she'd do what she could to help it fester and grow, getting him to see her side of things.

She would get her freedom and Elijah.

And if everything worked out how she wanted, Klaus would get nothing. Just as it should be.

* * *

To say Caroline was out of her element was an understatement, one that she was pretty sure had big red lights all around it, flashing brightly to showcase just how new she was to everything that was happening. From the outside the place had looked like a regular old bar, just another place in the new city in a language that she couldn't read, but she knew some of the labels in the window that were promoting different beers on tap. Even if the words weren't what she was used to seeing for them.

But she had known before they even stepped inside that this wouldn't be anything like the grill back home or even the bar they had been in earlier. Not with how she could smell the excess of blood from the car, had breathed it in, could practically taste it, and it had taken every ounce of control not to let her fangs descend at the smell.

The bouncer at the door let them in after a quick once over and she had a feeling he knew exactly what they were, though she kind of doubted that he knew who Klaus and Kol were by sight. Otherwise she was sure he'd have a healthy dose of fear about him because she could hear his heartbeat, could almost see the blood pumping through his veins. That was how alert she was to it all.

Kol left their side almost as soon as they got inside, heading off into the throng of people who were there. It was packed, something she really hadn't expected to see, and the amount of heartbeats mixing with the heavenly aroma was making it so incredibly hard for her to control her body. But she wouldn't give Klaus the satisfaction of her reaction and held it all in, forced down her own desires as she looked over at him before heading toward an empty booth.

She swallowed hard as she walked through the crowd, trying to slide between people before she sat down at the booth, eyes widening slightly when she realized that there were two vampires openly feeding on the girl in between them. What the hell had she gotten herself involved in?

Klaus slid into the booth beside her, sitting entirely too close to her for comfort, but she almost wanted his presence. If she was focused on that then she could almost block out everything else that was happening around them. "Owned by a witch like the other place we were at. However this one has the good sense to cater to our kind. She gets a little blood from those who order something to drink and her staff are as good as new after they've had a go," Klaus told her as he draped his arms on the back of the booth, looking out at the scene with a smile. "Some are compelled to forget, but most are paid quite handsomely for their service. Though, there is a chance of death each night. Never know when someone might lose control."

He dipped his head down, breath tickling her ear. "Would you like a bite?"

Caroline looked over at him, glaring in response. "Was this supposed to wow me or scare me?" she asked, turning her body so she could get a good look at him. "I'm not quite sure what you're going for here. If you wanted me to be at top form or whatever for when we see Lucy then we could have just gone and got some damn blood bags and there,  _done._ Ready to go. But no, instead you're all adamant that we come here."

Klaus' smile wasn't at all pleasant as he looked at her but she didn't fear his reply. "It's supposed to do nothing more than  _show you_  what this world has to offer. To expand your tiny horizons. All you know is your small town; that place in Virginia where you were born and where you  _died._ Where you were reborn into something  _greater_  and while you may have an amazing amount of control, Caroline, you fail to grasp that you too are a monster. That you need to feed. That you do yourself a disservice with those bags just as Stefan does with his bunny diet."

"I don't need to feed. I can survive on blood bags just fine and maybe it's not quite the same as directly from the vein but it does the job," she pointed out, hating that he tsked at her. She was so close to smacking him for that.

"You could acquire them with ease in Mystic Falls. Do you think it will be as easy a task here in this city? Or when we're traveling elsewhere and there isn't a hospital around for miles. Shall you take a bag or two from the local clinic, something that they might need the next day to save a patient that you just condemned to death because you were too afraid to feed?" Klaus mused and her retort died in her throat at his implication. She hadn't thought about those kind of consequences or the extra security measures that probably took place out of tiny Mystic Falls.

It was doubtful that the clinic or hospital staff was on vervain but taking a bag could result in dire consequences for someone else. "I'll just supplement when we're out of the big cities." That should be easy enough to do. Alcohol was something she could pretty much always get access to.

"And if it goes on longer than a few days and you finally reach your breaking point, killing the first person you attack because you didn't want to feed a little each day?" Klaus continued, beckoning for a server to step forward. "When the scent of it overwhelms you like it nearly did in New Orleans with that child at the pool?"

Or like it had before he had arrived when she had been with Kol?

_No._  She didn't feed from the vein. She didn't need to, she didn't want to. She was a  _good vampire_  and she didn't go around eating and killing people. Not that he had really said she'd be killing except for when she lost control because of a lack of blood but  _still,_ she wasn't going to just change her ways, her morals, because he was able to play on some of her deeper fears. She wasn't going to let him manipulate her like that.

"Then I remove myself from the damn temptation," Caroline told him, turning away from him and looking out at the bar. "Like I am going to do right now."

She just needed to get out of the bar, to get out into the street and force herself to breathe through the need like Stefan had taught her. Klaus' hand on her arm, not gripping just a light touch had her pausing and she looked at him. "Has it ever crossed your mind that I am trying to help?" he inquired and she didn't like that look, she had seen it once before back at the ball when he had shown her his art, that earnest look that almost had her forgetting who he was and seeing an actual boy instead.

It wasn't exactly a facade but it wasn't who he was anymore either. Or perhaps it wasn't who he had been for a long time, a part of himself that he hadn't allowed to shine through in so very long and for some reason it seemed to peek out with her.

_You know the reason_. Even if she didn't want to give name to it.

"Do you think I want you to lose control, Caroline? To attack some bystander and kill them because you haven't had a drink in some time?" he continued and she looked away from him, sighing as she balled her fists in her lap. "I'd much rather you take your fill here, learn to enjoy and not fear doing so. To use moderation since it seems you're so keen on your meal not ending up dead. I can go either way really."

Caroline never got the opportunity to reply to him as a woman had approached them, waving off the server who had been on her way to the table. "If it isn't the infamous Klaus," she greeted as she stopped in front of the table. "You must be here for pleasure as you didn't bother murmuring your name to my current bouncer. No jolt of fear rushing through the place because you entered. Or are you getting soft in your older age?"

"Careful, Sylvie," Klaus warned, and while he smiled, Caroline could sense the threat behind it, the way he flashed his teeth at the woman in front of them. "You know how I react when I'm displeased."

"I remember your tantrum in '87 just fine," Sylvie replied, hands pressing down onto the table in front of them. "I would rather not lose half my people tonight so state your business and I'll help how I can."

"What do you know of the witch called Lucy in Amsterdam?" Klaus asked and Caroline sank back against the booth, realizing this outing hadn't just been to tempt her into feeding.

"She's part of an old Coven, though she's not from its branch. Different one though they all go back to a common ancestor," Sylvie replied, waving off another person who was coming by with complimentary drinks. "Powerful witch in her own right, with that Coven backing her she's even more so. Took over after Sanai finally passed."

"I'm well aware of how much power that witch potentially has at her disposal," Klaus replied, motioning for the drinks to come back and Sylvie sighed, beckoning the person back to the area.

She waited until the server deposited the drinks and left before continuing. "You always did seem to know more than you let on at times. The witch Ayana is her ancestor. Created more problems than solutions, but that seems to be what happens when you're solely focused on keeping the balance."

"And the Coven she's with now is also of that line?" Klaus continued as he picked up the drinks, placing one in front of Caroline.

She stared at it, could smell the blood that was in the drink and hated him for putting it within her reach. "There are a few branches of it, though none as powerful as the direct descendants, but they've got quite the punch and all together they're one of the more powerful groups in Europe. If not the entire world unless the direct line has created her own Coven of witches closely descended from the same line. But last I heard that kid is still in high school and learning the ropes," Sylvie replied.

Caroline snorted at that. High school attendance kind of seemed like a huge joke by that point for all of them and she wasn't sure if 'learning the ropes' really defined what all Bonnie had been doing. It was more like being thrown headfirst into the lion's den and only having a small knife to defend herself. Though her friend had showed she was more than capable of big spells, even if Caroline did think it was taking too much out of Bonnie at times.

"I know you've met your fair share of Covens, Klaus, but this one will pack more of a punch if Lucy utilizes it correctly. I would say try not to get on her bad side but something tells me that you already have," Sylvie continued, and Klaus shrugged.

Caroline broke her train of thought, noticing that Sylvie was looking at her. She didn't like the attention or the curious way she was being looked at. The last witch who had assessed her like that had ended up dead and she really didn't want Klaus killing anymore witches. Or really anyone.

"That'll be all," Klaus stated, effectively dismissing the witch and Caroline watched the woman walk away, pleased that she didn't glance back at them. She felt Klaus' gaze on her but she wouldn't look at him, tried not to look at the glass in front of her either. "What harm could a little sip do, Caroline?"

That had her glaring at him. "I don't want it. I don't want  _any of it_."

Because this was more than her giving into one drink, she could tell that much. If she drank it then she was heading down a path that had dire consequences, just like enjoying the damn sightseeing with him. Doing those things equaled enjoying his company, equaled giving into a part of her that she didn't want to give hold to, one that was inexplicably drawn to the Hybrid sitting next to her. And that part had to be squashed like a bug, no matter how much it craved to be released.

"I'll be at the car," she muttered and flashed out of the door and into the cool night air.

Caroline tried to do the breathing technique, to push it all down and away, to regain control. She almost had it, almost had forced it all back down when the smell of blood hit her again like a ton of bricks. It wasn't from inside the bar, that she could push away.

No this was outside and it was much too close, calling for her to drink it, to down it all. Her fangs were out and she knew her veins were throbbing, her eyes darkening as she caught wind of the direction it was coming from. Her feet took her toward it before she could stop them; finding Kol out back with a woman in his arms, blood trailing down her neck as he drank.

He looked up at her, grinning brightly. "Hello, darling. Want a taste?"

No.

No no no.

"Abigail, be a dear and go see my friend, Caroline," he directed the woman, and Caroline stepped back as the woman looked at her and started to walk toward her, sweeping hair off her neck and exposing the wound. "You don't want it all to go to waste."

An arm grabbed Caroline around the waist, pulling her back against a body and before she knew it Caroline felt a blood wrist pressed to her mouth. She fought it for a moment, not wanting to drink but instinct prevailed and she bit into the flesh, drinking. She knew this blood, had tasted it before.

_Klaus_.

"What are you doing?" he demanded, still holding onto her tightly, letting her satiate her need with his blood.

"She looked hungry. I was only trying to help," Kol replied, tugging the woman back to him. "Besides, isn't that what you were wanting sweet, little Caroline to do, brother? Drink from the vein? I almost had her doing it."

"On  _my terms_ ," Klaus growled, and her hands curled around his wrist, holding him there as she drank, drowning out their argument as she focused on the blood.

Moments later she was in the passenger seat of the car and Klaus was in the driver's side, starting it without Kol. She didn't ask about him, had a feeling he'd make his way back to the house on his own as Klaus started driving them back toward Amsterdam.

She had nearly drank from that woman, had nearly given in and let her bloodlust take control, something she hadn't done in ages. But she refused to break down in front of Klaus, to show that kind of weakness. She could feel him in her veins, running through her body and she remembered Stefan telling her how blood sharing was an intimate act between vampires. And hadn't she done that with Klaus twice now? Or did it not count because he hadn't had any of hers? Caroline wasn't too sure on how that worked and she wasn't about to ask.

And she felt so damn high, like she could take on the world with the blood that had rushed through her veins, satisfying her need to feed. How could she feel so damn good, so euphoric when she had nearly killed someone? It was too much to deal with right then and there and so Caroline attempted to block it all out, to try and compartmentalize every emotion and take back some of her control.

The journey back to the house was a silent one and when they got to the house she got out of the car and headed toward the house, not wanting to be near him. She needed a shower, she could feel the blood staining her face, knew it was there.  _His blood_. She needed it off of her.

"Caroline," Klaus called out and she whirled around to face him, curls whipping in the wind.

" _No_. I am not talking to you right now. I don't care what your intentions were, how you  _thought_  you were helping or whatever harebrained scheme you had in that head of yours," she told him, shaking with fury. "I need to not look at you for a few hours and sleep and shower and all of that. So leave me the hell alone until morning."

She stalked off at that, not giving him time to answer, though Caroline knew if Klaus had truly wanted to say something he could easily have stopped her. She headed straight to her room, easily bypassing Stefan and Rebekah and went straight to the shower. It wasn't until she was under the spray of it that Caroline finally allowed the tears to come, to release all of the pent up frustration with what had happened come out.

Caroline exited the bathroom nearly an hour later and wasn't exactly surprised to find the slip of paper waiting for her on the bed. She wrapped the robe tighter around her body, glancing around to make sure he wasn't still in the room. She expected to see her face, but she hadn't expected to see it with her vampire features on display.

She should have hated it, should have ripped it up into tiny pieces but instead she stared at it, sensing the fierceness of the girl in it, seeing the inner strength that Klaus had expertly captured. It was weird to look at that image and see the beauty in it when it was showing a monster. She didn't know what to do with it, how to deal with the mixed emotions stirring in her and so she put it down on the bedside table and turned off the light before curling up in the bed.

Everything would make sense in the morning. Or at least she'd get some sleep so she would have the strength to tackle all that had happened because Caroline knew that no matter what she had to pick herself up and face the next day. There wasn't any other option for her. She refused to let it all make her crumble and fall. She was stronger than that now.

Life might bend her, but it wouldn't break her. She wouldn't let it.

 


	11. Chapter 11

_**Having a soft heart in a cruel world is courage, not weakness.--**_ Katherine Henson 

* * *

Klaus heard Caroline's slight gasp when she saw the sketch he had left for her. There was no sound of tearing afterward, no muttering under her breath, all he heard was the sound of her getting into bed and the light that shown under her doorway going out. He didn't know what to make of that, partly pleased that she hadn't destroyed his drawing but also annoyed with himself for even having drawn it for her. It was his way of apologizing for what had nearly happened, for Kol having almost ruined the entire experience he was trying to carve out for Caroline so that she could _see_  and  _experience_  what she had become.

There should have been no reason for him to draw it though, no reason for him to seek her forgiveness for merely trying to open her eyes. And yet he wanted it, he  _craved_  it, as well as the fact that he wanted Caroline to see the beauty that she held as a vampire. She was still working to see herself as not a monster, clinging to her human existence that would be gone in only a matter of years, probably sooner than she wished considering the dangers her friends and family faced on a daily basis. Such a loss could break a vampire, could cause them to lose their mind and seek out death, others might end up flipping the switch.

Klaus wanted neither outcome for her and while he knew she was strong—hadn't she endured torture by her father and Alaric and come out stronger from both instances—he had every intention of working with her to see her true potential, to continue to broaden the characteristics of hers that he was already so taken by. Even if he didn't like the weakness she brought out in him, the stirring of feelings he knew were a vampire's downfall.

He'd seen how they brought down Rebekah, causing fits of madness, of thinking it was better to leave her own family for someone not worthy, of not realizing she was bringing enemies into their midst. Finn falling so easily and quickly for Sage and Klaus wondering who was truly sire bound to who, watching her twist his attention away from his family and only toward the her. Or with Elijah and how history seemed to repeat itself as he fell for the Petrova doppelganger and allowed her to manipulate him time and again. It was sickening and Klaus could not afford such a weakness in his life and yet the thought of Caroline not being in it was one he could not fathom either.

It had become much more than wanting to seduce her, to get her into his bed and scratch that itch, and Klaus wasn't quite sure when it had intensified as much as it had, when she had become so much more than an interesting distraction from everything else happening in Mystic Falls. He enjoyed her wit, her ability to be honest with him and not show any fear even when most would, the way she gave just as good as she got in regards to him. He desired to have that loyalty she so steadfastly doled out to her friends even when they didn't deserve it, to have her care for him the way she did them, for her to realize that Tyler was never going to be enough for her.

Why was it so damn difficult to make happen? He was the most powerful creature on earth and yet her words could cut him to the quick faster than anything else, just as her smile could cheer him up in a second. It was maddening, frustrating, and yet he couldn't seem to let it go.

He glared at her doorway, clenching his fists at his side as he turned away and headed downstairs in search of something to drink. Though when he heard Stefan and Rebekah in the kitchen quietly speaking to one another in hushed tones all thoughts of drinking quickly disappeared.

After one thousand years together Klaus knew his baby sister's tells like the back of his hand and right then she was displaying a number that showed she hadn't expected to see him just yet, that she was  _hiding something_. That flicker of worry in her eyes before she covered it up quickly with annoyance at him, trying to flounce past and head up to her room.

At one point, Klaus might have thought it was because she had been out gallivanting around with Stefan, and while he didn't doubt for a second that Rebekah would enjoy sparking up that particular relationship all over again, she wasn't trying to shield the other vampire from him. Something she did with all of her lovers that she was afraid he might dispose of and usually that fear was justifiable. So either they hadn't been out enjoying the city together or she didn't particularly fear he would end Stefan's life.

"And what did the two of you do to occupy yourselves this evening?" Klaus asked, watching Rebekah shrug as she headed to leave the room. "Considering you're wearing the same outfit as before and neither of you look disheveled, I'd wager that there was no reconciling of any kind between you and Stefan. Pity. Though I suppose it's better than you chasing deluded dreams thinking he'll want you more than the doppelganger he's so hung up on."

If looks could kill Rebekah's would have done so a thousand times over and even Stefan looked unamused by his comments. Tough room.

"We were at the library," Stefan replied, and from Rebekah's hiss Klaus had a feeling she hadn't expected the boy to be truthful. "A paranoid Klaus is the last thing we need, Rebekah." The Salvatore did have a point. It never ended well for anyone if his paranoia was allowed to spike.

"Out with it," Klaus ordered and Rebekah headed back into the room, glaring at both of them. There had to be a reason they had gone to the library and he would not let either of them rest until he knew it.

"I don't trust everything the witches have to say so we went to look at some of the older texts. See what we could find about Silas, the Brotherhood, all of it." Rebekah clucked her teeth, crossing her arms as she regarded him. "Much of it's the same nonsense that we've been told, but one of the Aramaic texts seems to have a bit more to it."

Stefan held up the old text. "We took it for some further reading."

"You were never all that good at Aramaic," Klaus reminded Rebekah, unsurprised when she seethed at that. Even if it was true.

"Good enough to read the text and get the information I want from it," she pointed out, moving to take it from Stefan.

Klaus snatched it though, smiling at her anger. "I'll hand it over once I'm done reading it then."

"When will you get it through your head that you can't order me around? That I am not a  _child._  I've lived as long as you have, Nik," Rebekah shook her head, and he waved her off. "I've brought down just as many cities as you have."

"Do get to the point, Bekah," Klaus urged, turning the book over in his hands.

"What's the use? You won't listen and I'm done trying to get it through your head. I'm your sister and while I will always love you that does not mean I will always like you or want to be with you," Rebekah continued, and Klaus snorted at that.

"Something you've made abundantly clear more than once by looking for a new suitor every century or so," Klaus reminded, his expression hardening as he looked at her.

"You deal with him, Stefan, I've met my Klaus quota for the evening," Rebekah informed them before she headed up the stairs, slamming the door once she got to her room.

Klaus looked over at Stefan, watching the vampire shake his head at the situation. It nearly reminded Klaus of Chicago, of having Rebekah flounce off annoyed at the two of them for a moment, his sister heading to the bar for another drink, while he and Stefan laughed at whatever mess they had just engaged in. The smile on Stefan's face that disappeared when he looked over at Klaus only sealed that thought in the Hybrid's head.

"What did you do to Caroline?" Stefan asked, and Klaus offered up a grim smile at that, sensing that protectiveness in the other man in regards to the sleeping vampire.

"I didn't do a thing, mate," Klaus replied, turning on his heel to get that drink. It'd go well with the text he now had to read. "Though, I must say your training of her habits has been nothing but a disservice to that girl. Bunny eating and blood bags are a poor substitute for the real thing and while you may not wish to indulge in your basic instincts, you never should have allowed her to squander hers."

Stefan snorted at that, following after Klaus, which caused the Hybrid to smile, knowing that the Ripper would do so. "Caroline has her own reasons for not drinking from the vein. She needed alternatives and I provided them," Stefan murmured, and Klaus headed to pour two glasses of bourbon, offering over one. "She doesn't do the animal thing anymore. Hasn't in a long time. She doesn't like fur in her teeth."

"Not many do," Klaus pointed out, amused by Stefan's shrug. Klaus doubted that Stefan enjoyed that aspect of his diet either. "And what reasons might those be?"

The hesitance in Stefan's answer caused Klaus to narrow his eyes; interest peeked in regards to the question. "She needs to answer that one, not me," the boy murmured, downing the glass. "It's not my tale to tell."

Klaus sat down on one of the couches, arching an eyebrow at the answer and wondering what her reasons could be. It was obviously more than her own moral standard, in wanting her human friends and mother to look at her and not see a monster, though Klaus had a feeling that was part of her reasoning. He would need to have a conversation with her about it at some point, when his focus didn't need to be on trying to keep another immortal locked away.

"What do you want with her anyway, Klaus?" Stefan asked, and while Klaus could smell the fear rippling through the room as the Salvatore brother asked the question, none of that worry showed in the vampire's features. He was staring down at him, glass already discarded on the table, and taking up the stance Klaus had seen Elijah use on so many of Rebekah's suitors. "She's not a ripper. Even if she did drink from the vein, Caroline has enough control that she won't become some mindless killing machine for you. That bloodlust won't control her."

Setting his drink down on the table, Klaus leaned back against the couch; arms stretched out alongside the top as he listened to Stefan speak. "Has it ever occurred to you that I might actually enjoy her company?"

It was more than that, so much more, but Klaus wasn't about to discuss it with Stefan. Not when he couldn't even give name to his feelings for Caroline, not when he refused to admit just how much of a weakness she had become to him. Usually he destroyed those quickly and thoroughly, but that wasn't an option this time and he was out of his depth, trying to stay afloat as he worked out what to do about all of it while trying in his own way to court her.

"For how long?" Stefan asked, shaking his head at the question. "And what happens when you stop? You can't dagger her like you do your siblings. A dagger through the heart will kill her. For good."

"I have no intention of daggering Caroline, Stefan," Klaus replied, waving his hand at the absurd idea. "Nor do I intend to allow her to waste away her life in that sad, little town with the lot of you. I will not see her die sacrificing herself for Elena. There are at least a thousand other citizens in Mystic Falls who can have that privilege."

"I think it's up to Caroline for what she wants to do with her life," Stefan countered, and Klaus simply shrugged.

"And I think once she sees what her life could truly be, once she sees that the world does not revolve around that tiny town, nor is she trapped by such human conventions that she'll want so much more," Klaus stated, picking up the drink again and taking a sip. "As for how long, let's suffice it to say that I have no intention of ever giving her up."

Once something was his then it was to be his forever. Even when he was angry with his siblings, when he disowned them as he did Rebekah, he still wanted to know where they were located. He carted them around in coffins, unable to give them up even with Mikael close on his heels, entirely too close for comfort. Even Esther, who he had killed a thousand years ago, hadn't been left behind. She was his mother and he had been unable to give her up. The witches that he chose to employ for a spell here and there never stopped belonging to him, even if they thought they did, their service never really ending until he killed them.

"She's not a toy," Stefan bit out, and Klaus looked at him again, seeing the worry and anger mixed in the vampire's expression.

"No, she's not." Not that Klaus was ready to define exactly what Caroline meant to him in that moment, but Stefan was right, she was not a toy and he would not treat her as one.

Whatever Stefan's reply might have been it was swallowed whole as they both glanced toward the ceiling, picking up on the small whimpers coming from Caroline's room. Klaus was out of his seat in seconds, flashing up toward the bedroom. Fear was coming off of her in waves and he tore open the door, heading to the bed and finding her curled up on it, clutching the pillow in her hands as she endured whatever was happening in her mind.

He tried to get into her head; to help her fight off whatever was happening, but the spell on the ring she wore kept him locked out. If it could do that though, why wasn't it protecting her from the witches attack? Klaus sat down on the bed, trying to figure out how to fix this, to pull her out of the dream she was in when he slowly began to note a few things.

This wasn't like in New Orleans. While she was scared, it wasn't to the degree she had been in the hotel room, the terror of that night had chilled him to the bone and her skin had been cold and clammy.

"She's okay," Stefan murmured from the doorway, trying to right the door he had torn off the hedges. "It's just a nightmare. We all get them."

Klaus wondered what she was thinking about, what had such a hold over her mind to cause this type of reaction. His own nightmares had been of his father and his fists when he was far younger, but those had ceased as his power had grown, replaced by others that he didn't care to think of. Was she thinking about her own father torturing her or perhaps Alaric, a man she had once trusted? Both scenarios would have made sense and Klaus was ready to believe either until Caroline spoke again, her voice barely audible as her face contorted in pain.

"Damon, no."

He didn't even have to turn around to sense Stefan's tension spike, hearing the hard swallow as the vampire righted the door. Klaus tucked the covers around Caroline's body, knowing there was little more he could do for her and then turned to look at Stefan. "I believe you and I need to have a long chat."

"Like I said before, it's not my tale to tell," Stefan muttered, looking past Klaus at Caroline. The conflict on his face might have meant something if Klaus hadn't slowly begun to piece things together, remembering Stefan's earlier utterance of that same phrase in regards to why Caroline didn't like to feed from the vein.

Klaus was across the room before Stefan could blink, hand wrapped around his throat and shoving him into the wall, a loud crack occurring as he hit it. "It wasn't a request."

To his credit, Stefan didn't try and pull his hands away. He simply kept his gaze on Caroline. "Only she knows all the details and if you meant anything that you said downstairs you'll let her be the one to tell you."

Klaus let him go at that, scenarios already playing out in his mind for what might have happened. He left the room and headed back downstairs, picking up his glass again and flung it against the wall. Damon Salvatore had done something to Caroline and Klaus could only imagine what vile things that boy might have done and he had every intention of making the older brother pay, no matter Klaus' relationship with Stefan. Nor would the fact that Klaus would like to someday have that camaraderie again with the Ripper lessen the need to cause Damon pain. It would be a justifiable sacrifice.

It might not happen soon, his focus needing to remain elsewhere for the moment, but all that did was allow Klaus to think up some rather fitting punishments, and he'd know precisely how long to make the whelp suffer depending on what all Caroline told him in the morning. Because he was not about to let this go, he would get answers and figure out how precisely to deal with Damon Salvatore when they crossed paths again.

* * *

Caroline's voicemail had  _never_  been full. She checked her messages as soon as she saw them, maybe she would save some of them, but the inbox never got to the point where someone couldn't leave a message. Which was worrying Tyler because once again he wasn't able to leave one. Nor was she responding to any texts. His number wasn't the same, but she would know the coded words he used and reply. Something must have been stopping her from doing so and he worried that the something was the psychotic Hybrid that had forced him out of town.

The fact that he couldn't get hold of Matt or Jeremy either was also causing him to silently panic. He couldn't exactly run back to Mystic Falls to figure out what was happening though, couldn't just walk away from the growing number of werewolves that were joining him on his growing mission for revenge. He wasn't the only one who wanted Klaus to pay, that was more than obvious, and the fact wolves were seeking him out to try and help only cemented the notion in Tyler's head that Klaus Mikaelson wouldn't get away with everything he had done much longer.

The hybrids he had killed or who had died for him all had someone out there and many of them had joined up with Tyler, wanting revenge. And then there were those who had been friends or family to the packs Klaus had killed while trying to figure out how to create hybrids. Or those who didn't want the monster to have a chance to use them or their family to make more somehow.

Tyler couldn't' walk away from them, from what they needed to do, but he worried for Caroline. She was a vampire though. Surely that would help keep her safe, even if Klaus did have his sights on her. And that he couldn't fix until Klaus was eliminated from the equation.

He spotted Mason and Jules in the distance, motioning for him to come out further into the forest with him. "Gonna go for a walk," Tyler informed one of the men sitting beside him who nodded before turning his attention back to the campfire and conversation.

Tyler followed the other two out further into the woods, not entirely certain that the others could not see them, nor wanting them to think he was hearing voices. That would probably not go over all that well.

"You're doing well," Mason told him, offering up a smile and Tyler could feel pride stirring inside of him at those words, even if they had never really known one another all that well.

"Being that leader you were born to be," Jules commented, and Tyler grinned, remembering his mother say something similar before she had died. Telling him that he was like his father.

"It'll take some more time but I'm getting that army you wanted together. I don't know how big it'll be, but this is what is needed right?" Tyler asked needing to make sure he was doing as they had asked. It all tied into the end game and he would do pretty much anything to make sure Klaus Mikaelson paid for his crimes.

"It's perfect, Tyler," Mason assured, looking back at the group of werewolves around the fire. Tyler could hear the lot of them talking, their conversations ranging from amusing to plotting how best to hurt Klaus.

"You're going to need to get the cure once the army has grown a little more. And you're going to need to take it, Tyler," Jules started, and Tyler looked back at her. That hadn't been part of the original plan. "Or you'll be dying with him because desiccating Klaus, throwing him into an ocean isn't enough. Does it really make him pay?"

No. It didn't even come close to making the Hybrid suffer for his crimes. "Killing him will kill all the vampires in his line." It'd kill Caroline and that wasn't something Tyler was ready to let happen.

"Get it to those you don't want to go down with him, Tyler, but this is your chance to do some real good," Jules continued, and coldness seemed to permeate all the way to his very core with her words, something he hadn't truly felt since he was untriggered, before he had been turned. But even then this cold felt different than when he'd been freezing during a particularly brutal Virginian winter. "Vampires are a plague on this earth and were never meant to exist. You'll be righting a wrong that happened centuries ago."

Tyler raked a hand through his hair, trying to grasp all that they wanted from him. Hurting Klaus was one thing, but taking down who even knew how many others with him… "They're not people, Tyler," Mason added, and Tyler looked over at his uncle. "They kill to survive. They feed from innocent people to survive, they compel whoever they want. They take, they destroy. They don't belong in this world."

"Caroline doesn't do that," Tyler countered. And Elena…well, she was still learning, wasn't she? Damon, though, yeah, he fit that description.

"She hasn't been one long enough for it to taint her, Tyler," Jules replied, placing a hand on his shoulder. It still startled him that she was able to do that. "But it will with time. Especially if Klaus has his way. Do you really think he'll simply give up on her?"

No. Tyler didn't think the Hybrid would which worried him the most. A hundred years could go by and he wasn't sure that Klaus still wouldn't be in pursuit of Caroline, unless he'd finally killed her by then. Something Tyler was not about to let happen. "It'll change you too," Mason told him, and Tyler looked up at that, swallowing hard.

He also couldn't let that happen.

"I have to get back to the group," Tyler grumbled, purposefully leaving the two behind. He glanced back once, noting that they were gone before he stopped a little ways away from the others, dialing Caroline's number one more time.

The message about her full inbox did nothing to alleviate his fears and he nearly crushed the phone from annoyance before heading back to the others. He grabbed one of the bottles of tequila being passed around and nearly down the whole thing, his mind a chaotic mess even as he listened to the other wolves carry on, unsure if he could handle the slight change in plans. The warmth of the tequila doing little against the coldness in his body that began to spread, working its way toward his heart and his mind, as he shook off the feeling that someone was watching him and the others.

A quick look around showed no one else in the area, his heightened senses confirming that they were the only ones around for miles to go, but Tyler couldn't seem to shake the feeling that there was someone else there watching and waiting. He couldn't do anything about it so he focused on the others, trying to forget what Jules and Mason had said for a bit, not ready to have that huge a decision on his shoulders again.

* * *

There was that brief moment as she woke up where Caroline wasn't quite sure where she was, not having gotten used to the room in Amsterdam just yet, wondering why she wasn't clutching her teddy bear close to her chest and why she couldn't hear her mother breathing in the next room. The confusion evaporated quickly, memories of what had happened in the past few weeks bombarding her, the night before feeling like a sucker punch to the gut.

If Klaus hadn't gotten there Caroline didn't doubt for a minute that she would have given in and drank from the woman Kol had presented her. The need for blood had been overwhelming after not feeding since the plane ride. She could swear that she could still taste Klaus' blood in her mouth but she knew that wasn't possible. She'd brushed her teeth like five times and while his blood was gliding through her veins, he was most certainly not seared onto her lips.

Caroline senses another's presence in the room and turned toward it, ready to unleash hell if Klaus was in her room, but she doubted it was him. It didn't  _feel_  like him and he probably would have made some kind of comment as soon as she'd woken. She arched a brow at Stefan sitting at the vanity, watching him stare up at the ceiling.

She really didn't like his troubled expression.

Was it because of the drawing on the nightstand? "Is there a reason you're doing your Tuesday brooding face when it's Friday? Because I'm pretty sure that's against the rules," Caroline broke the silence, trying to go for lighthearted. She wasn't sure if it would work or not.

Stefan looked over at her and she was thankful for the smile he directed at her, reciprocating one of her own as he moved from the chair to sit down on the edge of the bed. She shifted, scooting so that she was sitting up and could face him better. "No, but really, what has you looking all constipated which I've learned is your 'I am having serious thoughts now' face."

He shook his head at her as he leaned back against the headboard. "I'm going to take a wild leap here and guess that your time at the club that caters to vampires didn't go all that well," Stefan started and she mirrored his position.

"It kinda sucked and that is not me making a joke or implying that I had any blood—well. I  _did_  have blood but not from anyone there." Caroline shrugged, unable to look at him for a moment. "Klaus tried to make some points, offered up blood in drinks—which I turned down because I'm stubborn. Like Elena and I totally haven't made Bloody Marys using blood bags. But then Kol tried to be sneaky and offer me up a live person when I stomped out of the club and I…"

She was grateful for Stefan's hand on hers, giving it a gentle squeeze. "I was really close to giving in. I was so hungry. Klaus got to me before I could though and gave me some of his instead." She couldn't help licking her lips as she remembered the blood sliding down her throat, the sound of his heartbeat as she drank, his body pressed against her back, wrist held tightly by her own hands as she took her fill. The way his hand had brushed her hair as he held onto her. It had been entirely too intimate.

"Out of the goodness of his heart, I'm sure," Stefan muttered and Caroline sighed, scooting over so she could lean against him. "You were having a nightmare last night, Caroline."

"Huh?" She didn't remember having any. "The ring didn't work?" Surely she would have remembered having someone in her dreams again trying to manipulate her body and mind. The possibility of not remembering really didn't sit well with her.

"Not like how you said it was when you were attacked," Stefan continued, and she looked up at him, watching worry lines form around his eyes as he looked up at the ceiling. "Just a regular old nightmare…" She really didn't like that he paused. "About Damon."

Caroline stiffened at that. She hadn't had one of those particular ones in a long time. Damon didn't have any hold over her any longer, she'd been able to hold her own against him that he didn't have the power that he'd had when she'd been human. She could see how being in that bar and watching Kol with that woman could spark up those kinds of dreams again.

What was she supposed to say to that though? She couldn't exactly stop the dreams from happening. What Damon had done to her had scarred her soul a bit and it was going to take a while to fully heal, no matter how strong she had become since he'd used and abused her. She also didn't want to talk about what had happened with Stefan, not with Damon being his brother. There were just some things they couldn't discuss, no matter how close they had become.

"I didn't know you were still having ones about him," Stefan murmured, and Caroline was grateful for the one armed hug he gave, holding her closer as she leaned against him.

"I don't really have many of him anymore," she told him, staring out at the wall. "They crop up from time to time. Kind of like the ones about my dad or the wolves or the hybrids or even Alaric. Events just kind of trigger them. It's fine, Stefan, water under the bridge, don't worry about it."

It wasn't his fault that his brother was an asshole who was never going to apologize for what he'd done. Not his fault that her best friend had been a complete bitch about Damon's past behavior after she'd been sire bound to him. Caroline moved away, getting off the bed. She really didn't want to be anywhere near it for their current conversation. Hated that she hesitated as she put her foot down on the ground, old fears sparking in her head as she remembered what had happened in her bedroom all those months back.

"Should it be though? I don't know if we did right with that," Stefan told her and she shrugged, unable to look at him, not really wanting to talk about that event.

"He's you're brother." And that would always be the reason why she couldn't wish Damon dead, no matter how she might despise him at times. He was Stefan's brother and Stefan loved him, would be devastated if he were to die.

Silence spread through the room for a few moments and Caroline wasn't sure what to say or do to break it, almost grateful when Stefan did that job for her. "There's more," he started and she looked over at him, not liking his frown. "Klaus heard your nightmare and heard you say Damon's name. I'm pretty sure he's coming up with his own scenarios in his head for what happened."

Caroline pressed her tongue to the top of her mouth, trying to calm down at the idea of Klaus knowing about that part of her past. That couldn't be good. "He wants to know what happened, Caroline, and I wouldn't tell him," Stefan continued and she sighed, not sure if she was grateful or not that she would be the one that would need to do so.

"That's my secret to tell," she murmured, not wanting to have that conversation at all. "It shouldn't even matter for him. It's in the past." Why did she have to dredge up old hurts to satisfy the hybrid? How was that fair? "It's none of his damn business anyway."

Stefan nodded at that, seeming like he had more to say but he paused again, reworking his words in his head. "I thought you might like a warning that he might be extra pushy on the subject."

"Thanks." She guessed that it was better to be prepared than blindsided. Stefan rounded the bed so that he was standing in front of her and Caroline sighed, letting her shoulders sag slightly as she looked at him. "I guess I'll put on my own brand battle armor and go deal with the annoying Hybrid. Better to do it sooner rather than later."

The longer Klaus had to think up his own ideas for what had happened the worse off it would probably be for Damon. Which, honestly, maybe that was a good thing. Part of her wanted the older Salvatore to pay for what he'd done, but just a look at the younger one told her that she'd feel guilty if he lost his brother.

It was so unfair.

"I know I've told this to you before but you need to be careful," Stefan told her, clasping his hands on her shoulders. "This isn't you being the distraction, Care, something I'm pretty sure we really shouldn't have had you do."

"Can't change the past," she muttered, trying to smile through it. "Besides, he hasn't killed me yet."

"There are fates worse than death," Stefan pointed out and she stepped back, blowing out air as she headed to pick out clothes for the day.

"Way to make everything seriously depressing, Stefan." That wouldn't do at all. "Look, I know he's infatuated with me, that I'm his latest obsession, like breaking the curse or chasing Katherine or whatever, but I am not letting that dictate how I live my life. I can handle Klaus and right now I need another shower and to get ready so that I can go make sure he doesn't get the idea to torture your brother to death stuck in his head."

She offered up another smile and headed into the bathroom before Stefan could reply, needing the space, unable to hear another talk about how she needed to be careful with Klaus. It wasn't simple infatuation, she had realized that, and maybe she was an obsession of his but she'd also come to know that it was more than that. Caroline knew she had to figure out how to handle the weight of it all and how to traverse through the newly turned landscape or she'd get swallowed whole and that was something she wasn't ever allowing to happen again.

Boys weren't allowed to play with her mind, to screw with her plans and dreams anymore. She was a fierce, strong, vampire and she was not about to let anyone try and control her again. Not even a thousand year old hybrid that could break her like a twig if he wanted. Which she knew he didn't, but it was the principle of the thing and Caroline would be damned if she allowed him to hold any power over her. Especially since she knew she had power over him, she just had to go back to using it.

* * *

It had started out as a normal evening. They had stopped for dinner in a small town bar, needing the break from driving. The plan had been to get to the next big city as soon as possible and for Eddie to find some vampires and kill them. Simple enough and it'd help his mark grow until they had the full map.

Maybe it wasn't exactly the best moral decision, since it did involve more killing, but it was just vampires and Bonnie couldn't bring herself to care about their fate. It wasn't exactly a secret that she wasn't a fan of vampires; the only ones she really did care for at all were her mom and her friends. The rest of them she didn't owe any loyalty to and she had seen what working with vampires could do to a witch, how it could corrupt them.

Glimpsed it with her cousin Lucy. Saw it fully corrupt Greta. Even been forced into doing more than she wanted by Damon and Stefan, usually to protect Elena, and while she loved her friend, she hadn't ever wanted to lose her touch with magic like she had. Or see her mother get turned. For Caroline to be turned. Or Elena.

So letting Eddie kill a few vampires didn't seem like that big a deal to Bonnie. It'd help the mark grow and help bring back balance. How could that possibly be a bad thing?

"You know someone who had the same mark as me?" Eddie asked as he slid onto the booth beside Bonnie, and she nodded, heart skipping a beat at the thought of Jeremy.

"Yeah. I did. Two actually. I didn't actually know Connor but I knew Jeremy since he was a kid." And she thought she had loved him, at least she had cared deeply for him.

"Did?" Eddie slumped forward a little. "That doesn't sound promising."

"They're dead. But you're not going to die," Bonnie told him, trying to offer up a reassuring smile. She couldn't blame him for not believing that and picking at the fries that were placed on their table instead.

"You can't promise that," Eddie told her as he picked up the ketchup, slathering it all over the fries. It reminded her of Caroline for a moment. French fries had always been a comfort food for her friend, plus something that helped stave off her cravings for blood.

"No, I guess not." Her bringing people back to life skills seemed to be kaput.

"How did they die anyway?" Eddie asked, and Bonnie sighed, snagging a fry.

"Does it really matter?" Knowing it wouldn't really help him out any and Bonnie didn't want to talk about Jeremy being dead.

Eddie picked at the paper under the fries, avoiding eye contact as he shrugged. "Probably not."

Silence passed between them, growing increasingly awkward by the second. Bonnie watched as Valerie walked over to the bar, waving over one of the other witches to join her. Seemed like they might be staying for a little while. "So where are you from?" she asked, needing to break up the tension that had slowly been building.

"California." Eddie was tearing the napkin into tiny pieces, dropping them onto the table in front of him. "You?"

"Virginia. Tiny town that's not really near anything." Though she did like Mystic Falls. Or well, she had, before everything had changed.

"Cool," Eddie replied, still ripping up the napkin. Small talk was definitely not her forte at the moment, the two of them once again having nothing to say to the other.

Bonnie looked back out at the others, watching the witches hand off drinks to everyone, Valerie loudly exclaiming that she'd bought the round. Sarah passed by their booth on the way to another and Eddie reached over to get one. Bonnie couldn't blame him; she wouldn't mind having one either.

Sarah smacked it out of his hand though, causing the glass to clatter onto the table, spilling the drink all over. "That's not for you."

Bonnie reached over, grabbing napkins from the end of the table and handed some off to Eddie so they could at least try and clean up the mess. Even the fries were wet. "I don't like her at all," Eddie muttered, glaring daggers in Sarah's direction before he helped Bonnie wipe the table down.

"Me either." Sarah had definitely not enamored herself to Bonnie in any way. "I'll see if I can get a rag or someone to actually clean this up." Otherwise they were going to have a very sticky booth to sit at.

She never got the chance though because as Bonnie rose, one by one the locals fell off their stools, slumped in their booths, or simply fell to the floor from where they stood. Those who had fallen began to convulse on the floor, white foam escaping their mouth as their eyes rolled into the back of their heads before they simply stopped moving.

"Oh my god," Eddie muttered, moving to try and help one, Bonnie moving to try and feel for the pulse on another.

"She's dead," she gasped, wondering what the hell had happened. Bonnie looked up to see the witches all still sitting at the table, none of them having moved. Nor did any of them seem to find what had happened to be all that alarming, all of them looking entirely too calm for comfort.

"What happened?" Bonnie demanded, knowing something strange was going on. That many people didn't just drop dead randomly.

"Come with me for a moment, Bonnie," Valerie suggested, already walking toward the exit.

Bonnie stared at her for a moment, not sure if she wanted to do that, but none of the others were even looking at her, almost like they were avoiding her gaze. Eddie just looked frantic, falling back a little and raking his hands through his hair as he shook his head. Valerie was eerily calm, holding open the door to the outside, and Bonnie rose, following her.

She needed answers and she was going to get them.

"What the hell is going on?" Bonnie asked, stumbling as she exited the bar, a rush of energy seeming to push into her. It felt like when she had killed the construction workers, every nerve ending seeming to be on fire, trying to pull her under and devour her, but she pushed through it, regaining control over her senses.

"We need that mark to become whole. That map to grow to its completion," Valerie informed her, and Bonnie blanched at the ideas beginning to form in her head. "Trying to find vampires would take precious time that we do not have to waste. This is for the best."

"How is this for the best? Those people had families, they had lives, and you just took it from them." Bonnie shook her head, staring in horror at the doorway, hoping what she thought Valerie was implying wasn't true. "Tell me there was no vampire blood in those drinks you bought."

"I find honesty to be the best policy so I can't do that," Valerie replied, and Bonnie took a step back. "You can't help them, Bonnie. They're already dead. And they will transition into vampires."

"This is not protecting the balance. This is not helping the world." If anything it was destroying a little more of it. "And what was with that rush of power?"

"Your body is absorbing the sacrifice of the others, just as Shane was training it to do," Valerie told her, and Bonnie shook her head.

"No. He was teaching me how to tap into my magic again. Not whatever the hell that was.  _That_  isn't magic. That is death. That is chaos." And magic was meant to bring harmony, not feed into all of the havoc currently swirling around her.

"Should we leave then and allow this newly awakening vampire population to wreak havoc on their town? To drain everyone dry before they possibly burn up in the sun? Or maybe they'll survive and go on to the next town and the next," Valerie suggested, and Bonnie didn't like the woman's smile. It was almost as if the older witch found that idea to be amusing. "Or should we allow Eddie to do what he needs to do, what he wants to do?"

Valerie waved her hand and the bar door flew open, revealing Eddie standing and looking down at the slowly waking bodies. One of the other witches sliced open a blood bag, pouring some of it into one of the empty glasses. It didn't even take a full minute before one of those newly wakened gobbled it down, the scent of blood calling to them.

Eddie clenched his fists and Bonnie was reminded of when Jeremy had tried to attack Elena, his Hunter instincts taking over. The newly turned vampire never stood a chance and Bonnie couldn't see it but she had a feeling the mark was growing on his arm as the vampire fell to the ground, dead all over again.

"This is wrong," she muttered, clenching her own fists, power vibrating around her.

"It's what must be," Valerie told her, grinning as Eddie moved to kill another. "They're only vampires, Bonnie. And when Silas is woken they'll be brought back and you can give them the cure and all of this will be a bad dream."

Maybe it sounded justified in Valerie's head, but for Bonnie that all sounded like a gigantic mess, one that she wasn't able to buy any longer. She'd let a few oddities go during her grief—too busy mourning Jeremy, Matt, and even Shane to pay too much attention to certain details. She had wanted so much to believe in what Valerie had told her that she seemed to have missed out on certain parts of it.

_This—_ what was happening right now was  _not_  how to go about fixing anything. Deliberately sacrificing innocent people just because they would come back was not something she was willing to do. She didn't think it was something Eddie would willingly do either if he wasn't being controlled by his basic instincts.

Bonnie lashed out with some of her energy, sending Valerie flying through the air while trapping the other witches against the booth they were still in. "Eddie!" she screamed, getting his attention. "Let's get the hell out of here."

None of the others who were waking had touched the blood yet so there wasn't anyone he was being pulled to kill again, and he nodded as he pulled himself out of his daze, looking around with wide eyes. "Oh my god," he sobbed, clearly ready for a breakdown.

"Get Geoff's keys!" Bonnie urged, not sure how much longer she could hold the others back. She could feel them straining against her power, could see more of the dead starting to wake.

They needed to get as far away from Valerie and the others as they could. Eddie scrambled to find the keys before meeting her outside, hands shaking as he handed them to her. Clearly he wasn't going to be able to drive.

"You can't run, Bonnie," Valerie warned even as she was pinned to the ground. "We'll find you wherever you are. You need us. That power you have will burn you out in days without us to help you carry it."

"I'm willing to take that chance," Bonnie replied, as she closed the car door and put the keys into the ignition, peeling out of the parking lot as quickly as she could.

She strained to keep her power up, to keep the other witches locked down for as long as she could, knowing they'd need to deal with the newly wakened dead before coming after them. "What the hell do we do now?" Eddie asked, staring down at his hands. "It's bigger. How the hell did it get bigger?"

"You killed another vampire. Every time you do it grows, remember?" she murmured, checking out gas gauge to see how long they had until it got to empty.

"This is so screwed up," Eddie muttered, rubbing at his wrist like he was trying to make the mark go away. "This isn't supposed to be happening. Vampires aren't real.  _You're_  not real.  _I'm_ not real. I want to go back before all of this began. Back to normal."

"So do I," Bonnie murmured, staring out at the road ahead, trying to keep her focus on driving.

"They killed them, didn't they? All those people." She could feel him looking at her and all Bonnie could do was nod. "Killed them for me to kill to make this stupid thing grow." He held up his wrist, glaring at it. "What the hell do we do now?"

"I have no idea," Bonnie told him. It was the truth even if neither of them wanted to hear it. "All I know is we are getting as far away from here and them as we possibly can tonight."

Maybe her mom would have an idea. Bonnie had a feeling Abby might know some witches that they could actually trust, that would have some insight into what to do next. They just needed to get a chance to talk to her mom, wherever she might be. She hadn't exactly gotten her phone number when her mother had skipped town. Maybe she could find her with a locator spell. Anything was better than going back to listening to Valerie and her lot.

Bonnie wouldn't make that same mistake again.

* * *

He hadn't intentionally eavesdropped on the entire conversation between Caroline and Stefan. It was hardly Klaus' fault that his Hybrid hearing meant it was easy to focus in on conversations happening two floors above him. He'd tried at first to keep his attention on the text he'd been reading, trying to gleam something new from the book he'd taken off Stefan's hands, but it had been a futile endeavor as soon as Stefan mentioned Damon.

Klaus had wanted to know what Caroline's reaction would be, wanted to hear the inflection in her tone, pick up any gasps, and while it would be better if he could also see her to notice any of her telltale habits with her hands or even her facial expressions, listening in would do for the time being.

The silent pause between Stefan saying his brother's name and then continuing was enough for Klaus to know that Caroline hadn't been expecting her friend to bring that particular subject up. The way she deflected away from whatever had happened, mentioning that Damon was Stefan's brother, linking it to the torture she had experienced—some he knew about, others he hadn't—coupled with trying to brush it off, calling it water under the bride, didn't sit well with Klaus. It only fueled his own theories about what had happened between the two, caused his anger to spike, seeming to burn in his veins.

Caroline's words about needing to put on her own battle armor, the defensiveness she had taken up because he wanted to know more, forced Klaus to calm down a bit. He knew she would be coming down already on the defensive, most likely ready to put up even more walls than she already had fastened around her, pushing him even further away than he already was from her.

He needed to try and remain calm, to make her feel safe as he pried the information out of her. It'd be for her own benefit. He would make Damon pay for his crimes, get Caroline the revenge she didn't seem quite able to take for herself. No doubt she was too hung up on how the others would feel, though funny how it seemed none of her so-called friends seemed to care how she felt about being around the elder Salvatore day in and day out.

Klaus wasn't a fool. Whatever Damon had done had obviously left its mark, perhaps was the reason Caroline was so steadfastly against drinking from the vein, and he would make sure to leave just as deep a mark if not worse on the Salvatore.

He turned his attention back to the text as he heard Caroline's door open, rereading a page as she descended the stairs. Kol was still asleep; Rebekah and Stefan had left not long after Stefan's chat with Caroline. Klaus doubted that Kol would wake anytime soon since his brother hadn't returned home until the early hours of the morning and had crashed soon after doing so. Apparently sleep had finally caught up to him.

"I hear we need to talk," Caroline started as she breezed into the room, letting the door swing shut behind her.

He glanced up at her, taking note of the way her hands shook slightly before she purposefully smoother down her skirt, needing to distract them. "I don't exactly know  _why_  we need to talk because it's none of your damn business," she continued, walking past him and toward the tumbler of bourbon. "I don't even get why you freaking care. So what if Damon used and abused me while I was human? Like you haven't done that to countless others in your thousand freaking years."

Klaus watched her pour herself a glass, fingers grasping it tightly to try and stop from trembling as she brought it to her lips, downing it. "Isn't that the vampire way or whatever?" she continued, pouring more.

Klaus didn't reply, waiting her out. He had a feeling she hadn't spoken of what had happened in a long time, wondered if she had ever truly talked about it with anyone. Considering her earlier conversation with Stefan, he knew she hadn't divulged much to the younger Salvatore.

"We were together when he first came to Mystic Falls. For like a split second. Not even worth mentioning really. I had this whole insecurity complex, always feeling inferior to Elena—since like kindergarten, you'd think it'd have gone away by now, but  _nope_ , that'll be following me until the end of freaking time. I thought I was one upping her with Damon but turned out he was pretty much just using me to eventually get into her pants. So technically she's now dating  _my_ ex which is better than my constant track record of dating or wanting  _her exes_." Caroline clinked the glass against the tumbler. "So score one for me."

She looked back at him then, sliding down onto the chair nearest the alcohol before looking away, her focus on some spot behind him. "I'm sure you can figure out the rest," she continued, waving a hand in his direction, not really wanting to go into the compulsion and everything else. That'd only add fuel to the fire.

"Perhaps. But I want to hear it from you," Klaus informed her, not surprised when she glared at him, lips pressed together in a hardline.

" _Why?_  We're not friends, Klaus. We are not lovers. We are barely acquaintances half of the time. Why the hell does it matter to you?" she demanded, glass set down on the table next to her, fingers digging into the material on her knees.

"Is that what you truly want to ask me, Caroline? Or is it why am  _I_  the one wondering, why am I the one asking and no doubt wanting to make that pathetic excuse for a vampire pay for what he did, instead of your so-called friends?" Klaus asked, placing the book down beside him. He watched her mouth twitch, nails biting deeper into the fabric of her skirt, could hear the tearing of the material before she looked away, picking up the glass again.

"You can't kill Damon," she muttered, swirling the liquid around in the cup as she swallowed. "You can't do anything to him."

"Why precisely?" Klaus asked, leaning forward as he watched her stare at the wall, seeing the slight tears in her skirt from her fingernails. "Because it'll cause our dear Ripper some pain? He'll get over it once he realizes he doesn't have to clean up his brother's messes ever again. Or perhaps it's because Elena will cry. Don't worry, that will simply push her back into Stefan's arms and isn't that where you'd rather her be?"

Caroline looked back at him then, eyes narrowing as she set the glass back down and rose to her feet. "You do not get to decide to right past wrongs for me. You do not get to decide how I should deal with the horrors that I've experienced. That's on  _me._  I get to make that decision. If I want Damon to pay for anything then it'll be by  _my hands_ and not yours." He opened his mouth to counter that but Caroline shook her head. " _No._  You do not get to take that power from me. He took enough already and I built myself back up and I became who I am now and you do not get to take it. It's  _mine._ "

Klaus leaned back, watching her shake with emotion, her chest rising and falling as she stared down at him. "So you don't fantasize about what it would be like to make him feel as helpless as he made you?"

"Maybe I do," Caroline replied, holding her head high. "And maybe I relish in those dreams sometimes, wondering all that I could do to him, but it's  _my choice_. Not yours. Not Stefan's. Not Elena's. Not Damon's even. It's  _mine_  and like hell you get to rip that from me to make yourself feel better, to make yourself think that you're helping. It won't fix it; it won't make me feel better."

Klaus rose at that, deliberately stepping into her personal space. "No? It won't bring you any delight to know he's waking up in fear, listening to every creek of the stairs, every car that drives by, just wondering when I'll be there to end his life, or perhaps torture him for a few more days. Leave him a broken heap that he'd have to rebuild over and over again through centuries. Tell me that wouldn't make you feel better, Caroline. Tell me the thought of that doesn't take your breath away."

He grinned as she realized she had indeed stopped breathing for a moment at the idea, eyes widening with all he was saying before she clenched her fists at her side. "If you do anything to him without my permission, because of what he did to me, then you're no better than he is," she snapped, stepping around him. "You're stripping me of who I am just like he did and making me feel helpless when I finally feel like I have some real power."

Caroline stopped at the doorway, hand on the frame as she swallowed, carefully choosing her next words. "So you do what you want, but I guess you should know that I never thought you'd do that to me. I thought you were better than that."

Klaus could feel his temper rising at her words, at what she was insinuating. In some ways he was far more a monster than Damon would ever be, he reveled in what he had done, in the pain he had caused, the lives he had ruined through the centuries. Cutting Caroline down to the very core, stripping her of power like she was insinuating was not something he ever meant to do, even when he did wish to cause her pain like she was so easily able to do to him with her words. But to make her helpless, powerless was never his intention; the opposite was in fact true. He wanted to build her up, to show her that her power was limitless.

"Very well, Caroline," he told her, watching her hesitate going through the door, glancing back at him. "I'll do nothing without your permission." He stepped toward her, motioning with one hand as he walked. "But don't think for a moment that I won't wait for that eventuality because it will come, sweetheart. When you see him ready to do to another what he did to you, when Elena finally tires of him as she returns to pursuing his brother—I'm fairly certain it's a doppelganger trait to do so—you'll want him to pay, you'll want him begging for mercy, begging for an end, and I'll happily guide you on how best to make him scream."

"You don't know me at all," she replied, crossing her arms as she shook her head. "I can manage having a whole bunch of fantasies without ever acting on them. It's healthier that way."

Klaus arched a brow at that, wondering what else she might be having fantasies about. "I'm quite sure the professionals would disagree with you on that one. Bottling up your feelings and desires never ends all that well for anyone." He stopped in front of her again, though not as close as before, smirking at her. "Eventually they demand release. Though it's quite something once that happens. All of that pent up frustration finally set free. "

"So not having this conversation with you." Caroline rolled her eyes at him. "And I'm hungry so you're going to show me where to get some damn blood bags in this city because I think you figured out the vein thing won't be happening."

"My arm is always available, love." Klaus even held one up, watching her glance down at it, noting that she unconsciously licked her lips at the idea.

"You're not funny," she snapped, forcing herself to look him in the eye. "So are you going to actually show me a little more of the city or was that a one-time thing?"

Klaus smiled at that, motioning for her to proceed through the doorway.

The conversation might not have gone at all how he had wanted or perceived it would, but he couldn't discount that he was quite pleased with the current outcome. Even if he couldn't quite be certain that she wasn't playing the role of distraction at the moment, perhaps for Rebekah and Stefan for wherever they had gone. He simply couldn't bring himself to care, content knowing she'd asked to spend some time with him, and wasn't that a giant leap forward in itself?

 


	12. Chapter 12

_We look up at the same stars, and see such different things—George R. R. Martin_

* * *

 

Caroline breathed in the chocolately aroma as she held the Styrofoam cup up toward her face, following alongside Klaus as he led her down the pathway beside the canal. She knew Amsterdam was famous for its canals and its drug scene, not to mention the Red Light district, which really wasn't all that intriguing to her. But the history of the canals, of the buildings surrounding it, was becoming pretty damn fascinating. It wasn't something she ever really thought she'd take so much of an interest in, but seeing these buildings that had been standing for longer than she'd been alive, most for hundreds of years, was enlightening.

She wondered if they would still be around when she was as old as they were now. Would the stories hold the same meaning for future generations and how many new ones would crop up between then and now? Would she become part of the legends somehow, leaving her mark on history as she moved through the ages? Was that possible? And how exactly did she even want to leave her mark? She wasn't too certain what any of the answers were but she did notice that Klaus was watching her with that damn all-encompassing look again. The one he seemed to use often on her as if he was trying to learn every tiny detail about her.

Caroline didn't think she'd ever had anyone look at her like that, as if she was a puzzle and an answer all at once. She didn't know how to deal with it, how to react to it, and so she sipped her hot cocoa and stopped once she realized people were actually skating on the canal. She'd been ice skating before, but only in the makeshift rink that usually came out for the Winter Holiday Celebration.

She hadn't done that this year.

Nothing about the one this year had gone at all how she thought it might. If anything it had all become one gigantic mess that she didn't think any of them would walk away from the same again. Not even the Hybrid standing beside her.

"It's tradition that once the canal begins to freeze over that no one is allowed to sail on it any longer. The ice is allowed to build up, to become thick enough that ice skating can occur. There is even a race that happens here once a year but I'm afraid we missed that," Klaus informed her as he leaned against the railing of the bridge they were on, looking out at the skaters below. "Perhaps next time."

Caroline pursed her lips at that; not wanting to make a snide remark about how there wouldn't be a next time. This wasn't the start of some world adventure with him.  _That_  was never going to happen. They weren't even in the country now to sightsee and have a good time. Except she was tired of punishing herself by denying him his apparent need to show her around while they were stuck in the country, waiting to hear from Lucy.

What was the harm in letting Klaus show her around? He knew about the city, probably knew some of the more interesting places to visit, and Caroline also figured that if he was with her then there weren't any innocent bystanders being killed. Well, except by Kol's hands but she couldn't really do much about that Mikaelson.

"Do you come here often?" she finally asked, knowing she couldn't keep silent forever. It was kind of killing her to not speak anyway. "Because you own a house." And that had to mean he liked the area, right?

"I own a great many houses around the world, Caroline," Klaus informed her, motioning for her to continue on down the bridge. "It's far nicer to have a place that I have already molded into the way I wish it to be for a night or two than staying in countless hotels. I could never truly appreciate my time in any one of them for a good deal of time though." After all, he'd been on the run and staying anywhere too long, especially once videos and the internet were so readily available, was never a good idea. "A few of my residences have someone who lives in them though to keep Mikael from being able enter. Though that's no longer needed."

"So like is it in their name?" Because she was pretty sure it was supposed to be in the person's name in order for vampire's not to be able to enter without permission.

"Oh yes. And upon death will fall back into my hands." He'd only ever done so for the residences he liked to frequent with some regularity though. Most simply stood as they always had, locked up and waiting for him to return. "You'd enjoy the villa in Tuscany. Vineyards. The food. And of course the horses." Or at least there had been some there when he'd left it last. He really should check in on that one and a few others at some point.

"I do like horses," she murmured, dropping her empty cup into the nearest trashcan. "You didn't really answer my question though. Do you come to Amsterdam often?"

"No. I hadn't been here in years and even then I was only passing through. Rebekah was fonder of this city than I," Klaus replied, offering Caroline his arm as he turned to cross the street.

She shook her head, stuffing her hands into her coat's pockets as they crossed. She was definitely not taking hold of his arm. She knew how that might look and so maybe she shouldn't care what random strangers might think of the two of them, but she  _did_  care and she wasn't going to project that image of a happy couple walking through the streets. Not with him. Caroline also knew that she didn't want to provoke the beast that was just there under the surface waiting to come out and play.

"When do you think we'll hear from Lucy?" she asked, wanting to keep the conversation going.

"Your guess is as good as mine for that happening," Klaus replied, not expanding or offering up any insights as they continued to walk, and she knew her refusal of his arm had probably annoyed him. Had he seriously expected her to take it? Just because she'd asked him to show her around didn't equal friendship or anything. Maybe she'd done it back at the Miss Mystic Falls pageant but things had changed since then.

"I was thinking of trying to call Bonnie," Caroline started, hoping another angle would get more of a reaction from him.

And it did. Just not one she had expected or really wanted.

Klaus stopped in his tracks, whirling around to face her and Caroline took a step back at the fury in his eyes, caught off guard by it. "Are you mad?" he demanded, and it took her a minute to realize he wasn't asking if she was angry. "Calling the Bennett witch who we know has been dabbling in expression, who no doubt has been snapped up in all that is happening and is playing on the other team—who at this point, Caroline, if you'll remember correctly, is not the one you want to win—might not be the best idea in the world."

"She's my best friend. She wouldn't hurt me," Caroline protested, shaking her head at his paranoia. Which, okay, she could understand it to a degree, but it was  _Bonnie._ She'd known Bonnie since they were knee high.

"Perhaps she was but we have no way of knowing right now if she still is, or if any of the Bonnie Bennett you know is still inside of her," Klaus replied, and she didn't like the sense that he was making. "Dark magic can twist a witch, can kill any of the person she used to be and turn her into something quite useful but also dangerous and eventually they need to be put down. Expression seems to be even worse than simple dark magic, Caroline. You will not be calling her."

If he had just left it off without the whole 'you will not' statement it might have gone over better, but as soon as those words left his mouth there was just no way Caroline was going to back down. "Excuse me?" He could not be serious. "You seriously do not get a say in who I do and do not talk to.  _Maybe_  what she needs is her friends reaching out to her to remind her who she is and what's she doing.  _Maybe_ she's not caught up in anything and is like looking for me. And Elena." Probably looking for Elena since no one seemed to know much about the doppelganger's whereabouts. "She's stronger than you think she is."

"I'm aware of how strong Bonnie Bennett is," Klaus replied, and Caroline didn't know what to think of him not saying anything about the rest of what she'd said. Of course she had no clue how to actually call Bonnie long distance and would need Klaus' help to do that.  _Oooooh_. From the smirk on his face as he turned, motioning for her to walk again, she knew she'd been right in her thought pattern. Jerk. "Tell me, Caroline, do you know what is going on with Rebekah and Stefan?"

Huh? Caroline scrunched her nose as she tried to even comprehend what he was asking. "What are you talking about?" And how had he managed to so successfully throw her off what they'd been discussing?

He stopped walking for a moment, staring at her long and hard as if he was trying to read her and Caroline stared back, wondering what he was seeing. Klaus nodded once and then started walking again and Caroline scoffed, throwing her arms open. "You need to expand on that! You don't get to just say things like that and then drop it!"

"Why don't we go get you that blood you need," Klaus replied, clasping his hands behind his back, and she just knew he looked smug.  _Ugh._

"Don't think this conversation is over," Caroline grumbled, but she really did need that blood and wasn't about to turn down finally getting some.

"I'm sure we'll have a similar one many times over the centuries," Klaus mused and Caroline rolled her eyes at the implication. He was just full of those today, always dropping little hints of spending a vast amount of time with her, of always being in her life. It was  _aggravating._

She wasn't going to play into though. She was simply going to ignore it. Giving it any attention only seemed to egg him on. "Are we going to the hospital?" she asked, trying to steer the conversation back to something she would discuss with him.

"You'll find that outside of Mystic Falls that the larger hospitals are harder to break into without gaining unwanted attention. The security cameras around every corner and security personnel that roam the hallways make it difficult and not worth your while," Klaus told her, still pleased with himself as he steered their direction down another alley. "Smaller clinics or blood drives would be your best bet. Of course, simply picking someone turning into an alley or later at night on the dance floor of a club or in a darkened bar would be even easier and much more satisfying."

"Clinic it is!" She wondered if he'd ever stop trying to get her to drink from the vein. She kind of doubted it.

"They'll have cameras as well, but less staff so you'll be able to compel your way in and out with ease. Also you can erase the tapes or compel that to be done as well. I suggest taking a few extra and we'll be on our way home to put them away. I don't know when we'll next have a chance to stop for more," Klaus continued, leading her to one of the smaller clinics. The sun was setting and she noted Klaus turned the Open sign to Close as they walked inside.

He headed over to the receptionist at the counter and Caroline heard him speak in what she assumed was Dutch. No one else was in the waiting area which was a definite plus. "Caroline," Klaus called, getting her attention and she headed over to the two of them. "Just as I suspected Shirley here speaks English so I think now is as good a time as any for you to practice obtaining your own blood."

Caroline was startled for a moment, not having expected to be the one to do it, but one look at Klaus and she had a feeling he wasn't going to back down on this. And there wasn't any harm here. She would just compel the woman, get the blood, do a little more compelling and they could leave. No big deal.

"Hi, Shirley," Caroline greeted the redhead and leaned forward, eyes dilating as her compulsion started to take hold. "You're going to do everything that I say for the next couple of minutes. But don't worry; nothing bad is going to happen. I swear." She offered up a brilliant smile with that part. "I need access to your stock of blood bags and I'm going to need you to lead me to it. Also a container to carry some out of here in. Got all that?"

"Right this way," Shirley replied, and there was a buzzing sound a moment later near the doorway that headed back into the clinic.

"I'll wait right out here," Klaus told Caroline, sitting down on one of the couches.

She nodded and headed to follow Shirley down the hallway. It didn't take long to get back to where the blood bags were stored and Caroline filled a small transportation cooler with eight bags. She didn't want to take more than that because the stash the clinic had might drop dangerously low then. Eight should last her for a bit and hopefully they'd be another city by then and she could get some from another clinic.

As they headed back out toward the front, Caroline stopped Shirley again. "I need you to erase the footage of the last few minutes and then go back to work. You will not remember me or Klaus having been in here or anything that just happened as soon as we walk out the door."

Shirley nodded; heading into what Caroline guessed was the room that held the security feed while Caroline headed out to where Klaus was waiting. She wanted to knock the smug smile off his face, that look of pride that he was bestowing upon her had her stomach doing little flips and she  _really_  didn't like that at all.

"Can we just go now?" Because she was hungry and she also did not want to deal with any praise that might come out of his mouth.

Klaus simply opened the door, turning the sign back to open, and they headed back toward his house. He might not have said a word on the way back in regards to how she'd done, but Caroline could swear she could  _feel_  his pride in her actions flowing off of him. And that was just as annoying as him speaking it. Or possibly everything he did was able to aggravate her at times and that worried her because if she was aggravated that meant he could get under her skin. And once that happened how difficult would it be to keep him away from her heart?

Not that she worried too much about having Klaus anywhere near that. Her heart was for Tyler, for the boy that Klaus had condemned to a life on the run and would someday maybe kill. Just like he had killed Matt and Jeremy. Jenna and so many others. What possible hope could he ever have of actually getting anywhere near her heart after all of that? The good he did for her didn't simply erase all the bad.

Klaus caught her arm as they neared the front door, stopping her movement, and Caroline opened her mouth to say something about her 'no touching policy' when she spotted the note taped to the door as well. "Stay here," Klaus ordered and she rolled her eyes at him.

"Is the note going to suddenly set us on fire or something?" There was paranoid and then there was Klaus.

His only response was a narrowing of his eyes as he headed up the stairs and she followed after, letting him remove the note as she opened the front door. She could hear Kol and Rebekah squabbling inside. It almost reminded her of Jeremy and Elena except there were stabbing threats being doled out between the current siblings.

She left Klaus on the porch with his note and headed toward the kitchen to put her bags in the fridge and grab one of them to drink. "And how was the lovebirds little stroll?" Kol called out, temporarily distracted from Rebekah, as Caroline headed past them.

Flipping him off would probably be a bad idea so Caroline rolled her eyes at him instead and continued on her way, hopeful that he'd stick to tormenting his sister and leave her to her own task. Of course her prayers were very rarely answered. "I see he caved and got you some more blood bags," Kol remarked, following her into the kitchen.

"Actually, I got them. Klaus just showed me where to go." Caroline shut the fridge door and sat down on one of the kitchen stools as she began to drink one of the blood bags.

"It's like drinking something flat though. How can you possibly stand it?" Kol asked, making a face at her as she drank. "From the vein its fresh, it's tantalizing. Nothing quite compares to that rush as you devour them."

Caroline shrugged, not really wanting to answer his questions or think about how delicious fresh blood did taste. "Oh come now, Caroline. Don't you remember when you first transitioned, that delightful first human you drank to help you fully change?" Kol continued.

"I actually transitioned with a blood bag," Caroline replied, remembering it all like it was yesterday. "Didn't know what was going on, smelled the blood and really wanted it, so I kind of took it and devoured that. So nope, I'm all good right now."

Klaus ventured into the room before Kol could comment, note still in his hand. "Nik. Did you know that your girl here transitioned with a blood bag? No wonder she's so hung up on them."

Caroline glared at the younger Mikaelson for the 'your girl' comment. "It seems Lucy is ready to meet with us," Klaus stated, ignoring Kol, his entire focus on Caroline again.

"Are you sure that says  _us_  or does it just say  _Caroline,_ because I'm pretty sure that I'm the only one who she wants to see?" Because Caroline doubted that Lucy wanted to see any of the rest of them again and she couldn't really blame the girl after what had happened in the club the other day.

"We'll be going together, Caroline," Klaus replied, already out of the kitchen with the note that had any of the details that she might need to go alone. "Be ready in an hour." Apparently it wasn't up for discussion. Just great.

"So tell me more about this transition of yours. Bagged blood? You poor thing. Don't worry we'll make a real vampire out of you yet," Kol continued as soon as Klaus had left the room and Caroline sighed, finishing off her bag and wondering how the hell she'd gone from one Mikaelson brother bugging her to two of them?

* * *

It had taken Damon some time to locate Elena. Mostly because he had no idea what her motivation was so trying to track her had been a lot of loose ends and false starts. Until he started finding out through the supernatural grapevine about a lot of dead witches cropping up in different areas and some of those witches turning into vampires. Which he'd found interesting upon hearing. Most witches wouldn't complete the transition, preferring to die as witches because it meant they'd cross over unaltered. And these weren't newbie witches; these were Covens who'd been practicing for centuries so he had known something was up.

But it hadn't meant much to him at first, just an interesting tale told while he was trying to locate Elena, to see if anyone had caught sight of her.

And then came the rumors of the one who was killing and turning the witches and the description matched her. Damon hadn't believed it at first, wondered if maybe Katherine had found a new game to take part in, but he couldn't pass up the chance that it might be Elena.

Watching her from his spot in the woods as she stalked a witch home was disconcerting. At one point he might have loved this, been captivated by the ideas of what he and Elena could accomplish together, of how much fun they could have. But he'd been watching her for the last half hour and nothing about her movements screamed anything about the girl he knew. Everything was off, but not in the way it was when Katherine was impersonating her. No, this was just a shell of the girl he was in love with. This was a puppet walking around with her face and her body and for a moment he wasn't sure if Elena was even in there any longer.

He wasn't sure he wanted her to be after he saw Elena tear open the throats of two little kids. Elena Gilbert would never forgive herself if she knew she'd done that. Was this the switch flipped because of Jeremy? It didn't seem like that. There might not have been any emotion exhibited but it just seemed different than that.  _Worse._

Damon headed after her as she was leaving, easily stepping into her path and blocking her immediate exit from the backyard. The lack of recognition in her eyes as she looked at him was a blow to the gut, but he'd figure out how to fix that later. First he needed to get her to come with him and then he needed to find a witch that she hadn't managed to kill and get them to fix whatever was broken inside.

Elena moved to step around him but he stepped with her, matching her every move as he continued to block her. Anger flashed in her eyes at that. "You need to move," she told him, and while it was her voice coming out of her mouth, there was something off about it. Something sinister that crept over him like a cold breeze, chilling him to the core.

"I can't do that, Elena." He placed his hands on her shoulders, offering up one of his patented smiles. "Don't worry. You'll be just fine." He meant to snap her neck then, to give him time to get her to someone who could fix it all, but she shoved him back with a strength Damon knew she shouldn't possess.

His body smashed through the fence and he groaned as he impacted the ground, thankful that the wooden shard that rammed through his body had decided to hit his leg instead of his heart. Elena had already headed off and Damon yanked the wood out, tossing it to the side as he forced himself to stand, cracking his neck as he tried to ignore the pain. His leg would stitch itself back together soon enough and he didn't want to lose her, not when he'd finally located her, so he headed off after her.

He didn't expect to see Abby Bennett trying to shove another woman into a car as Elena flashed toward them. Damon headed her off, knocking Elena to the side before she could reach her target. He saw Abby watching him from the corner of his eyes, saw her take a step forward as though she was going to help, and he wondered exactly why she even thought he'd need it. He had over a hundred years on Elena, she should be easy enough for him to subdue. That burst of energy was probably nothing more than because he hadn't been expecting it, like when Caroline had managed to hurt him in the hallway after her transition.

Abby stopped though, sneering at him and got into the car instead, peeling out of the driveway with the other woman, not bother to glance back at him. He couldn't really blame her. He had killed her, was the reason she'd become a vampire. Though he thought she should be a little more grateful that he'd chosen to do it to her instead of her daughter. She might have been harder to manage than Bonnie had been though and more vengeful. Not that witchy didn't have her own vengeful streak that ran a mile long; he'd just gotten lucky and Elena usually put a stop to Bonnie ever carrying through.

Damon pushed himself up off the ground, holding his hands up as he arched a brow at Elena who was also rising. "Now, Elena," he started and never got to finish the sentence; she'd flashed forward and snapped his neck, something he hadn't expected her to do.

Elena watched him fall, annoyed that he had stopped her from continuing her mission. It was no matter. She'd figure out where the lone witch and vampire had gone and finish her task. Stepping over the body she headed off down the road, humming along to the sounds of sirens in the distance as she headed off toward her next destination. Somewhere deep inside she was screaming out for her body to turn around, to help Damon, but the voice was quickly squashed, her orders repeating on a loop instead.

* * *

Rebekah stared out of the window, down toward the street and watched Klaus head out with Caroline.  _Always_  with Caroline. For one thousand years she had more or less been by his side, only ever parted because of his own decisions—usually taking away her own ability to make any by daggering her—and she'd dealt with being second to so many things before. Running from Mikael, the need to break his curse, the search for the doppelganger, revenge on Katherine, leaving her behind to run off to make hybrids, but  _this_ —to have her brother finally break the curse, to be the Hybrid he had craved to be and still be shoved to the side and over some baby vampire—it was beyond aggravating.

After the initial scuffle upon everyone waking, the bonding they did once they realized their mother was out to kill them all, and the blow of Finn's death, Rebekah had been willing to put behind her all of the secrets and lies and for them to be a  _family again._  She'd thought that would be what would happen and when Klaus had been ripped away from them, when she thought he was _dead_ , killed by Alaric with the white oak stake, only to find him alive—that he'd saved  _Caroline_  over  _her_  and the wedge had been shoved into place.

Her foolish dreams of them ever being united as they had been once upon a time were shattered, scattered at her feet and for once she had no desire to sweep them all up and try to put them back together. But did he have to continue to pick  _her_  over everyone else? To worry for Caroline above all of them, including his own blood? If she didn't fear Klaus shoving the last white oak stake through her heart for it, Rebekah might have torn the baby vampire's from her chest days ago.

Rebekah didn't like being slighted, didn't like being pushed aside, especially by her brothers. They were  _hers._  Especially Nik—after everything they had endured together, after countless lifetimes of only having each other—and she felt him slipping further from her with each passing day.

It drove her need for the cure, to have it, to take it, and create her  _own_  family. To not be strapped to her brothers' lives any longer, but to have her own. To take back the life that had been stolen when her mother had tried to protect them.

"She doesn't want to be with him any more than you want her to be, Rebekah," Stefan commented from the table where he was going through some of the books they'd taken with them from the library.

"He'll eat her up and spit out her soon enough," Rebekah muttered, even if she wasn't entirely certain that was what would happen.

There was silence for a moment, and Rebekah turned, watching Stefan carefully choose his next words.  _That_  was another thing she couldn't stand, the closeness between him and Caroline. It only riled her further, had Rebekah wondering why he could get along so easily with the other girl and not want a thing to do with her. The twenties were still fresh in her mind and she couldn't help but wonder if it had all been a lie, the feelings she thought they shared, that so easily developed between the two of them.

The what if game wanted to start again in her head, that constant wondering of what might have happened if Nik hadn't compelled him and daggered her. Would Elena have been an obstacle then if she and Stefan had been together for so long? It was a nasty game, one that she could never win, and Rebekah was tired of playing it.

"Are you sure we should be doing this with Kol still here?" Stefan settled on and Rebekah wasn't sure if she was grateful or annoyed for the neutrality of it.

"His delivery just arrived so I'm sure he'll be entertained by the delivery boy for a while," Rebekah replied, waving off the concern. No doubt her brother would be occupied for a bit. Long enough for them to get a bit more research done before he wandered to where they were.

"The myths about an immortal stretch back centuries before you were created," Stefan said, picking up a few books in various languages. The Latin ones he was able to struggle through because of his own education but the other texts he had to pass off to her, not able to decipher the languages. Thankfully Latin had been common for a lot of the older texts because they had originated in a number of churches over the years, dug up and eventually sent to the library as churches fell into ruin or were closed for other reasons. "But nothing about the Five or a cure."

"I wouldn't expect the Five to be mentioned for a good while," Rebekah murmured. After all, they hadn't come into existence until after she'd become a vampire. "The cure is the part we need clarification on." How much was there? What precisely were the side effects that the witch who created it placed upon it? Magic always came with a price and Rebekah was determined to learn what exactly it was for the cure.

"What do you remember of the story from when you were a child?" Stefan looked up at her from across the table and Rebekah sat down, frowning as she tried to remember the story.

"Not much. I rarely paid attention to it. More interested in trying to secretly wield a sword without father seeing than listening to Ayana's tales," Rebekah sighed. Perhaps if she had there would be more for them to go on.

"I listened," Kol stated from the doorway, eyes narrowed as he observed the two of them. Fresh blood stained his shirt, mouth and hands. "I took them to heart and when I learned they weren't simply stories to scare us into obeying our parents I helped to ensure the first cult of our time was destroyed." Rebekah shut the book she had been looking at, silently berating herself for not having heard him approach. "So what are you up to, little sister?"

"It's none of your concern," Rebekah replied, purposefully not catching his gaze.

Kol sat down on the table; picking up the books and tossing them back down with ease. "Still on about the cure, aren't you?" he asked, and glanced back at Stefan. "She honestly thinks she'd be able to live as a human again." He laughed at the absurdity of the idea. "You haven't been human in a thousand years, Bekah."

"I could do it," Rebekah snatched the book from her brother's hands, baring her teeth at him.

"Compulsion is second nature to you," Kol pointed out, and Rebekah frowned at that. So what if she had used it earlier in the day to obtain a meal. Once she was human she wouldn't need to drink blood so that wouldn't be an issue. "You forget the pains that come with it, the aches, and the limit in your power."

"I don't need power," Rebekah muttered, not entirely certain about that point, but she did believe she could learn to live without the kind of power she had now. There would be no need for it once she was human.

Kol tapped his fingers on the books. "Even if you could get it—which you can't because getting the cure means wakening Silas and I won't let you do that, Rebekah—Nik will never allow it."

"Nik has a new toy to spend his attention on," Rebekah pointed out, jealousy lacing her tone and Kol grinned, leaning forward into her personal space.

"So that's why you want the cure? Because Nik finally found one he doesn't want to fuck and kill but wants to keep?" Kol mused, and Rebekah shoved him away, though her annoyance only grew as he laughed while tumbling to the ground. "Jealousy really doesn't look good on you."

Rebekah picked up the book she had been looking at and headed out of the room, leaving Stefan do deal with her psychotic brother. She headed straight to her chosen room and slammed the door, picked up the vase on the vanity and was ready to throw it, wanted to do so, but stopped herself. She had a feeling that doing so would only prove Kol right in his assessment and that was the last thing she wanted to do.

She placed the vase back down and put the book beside it before sitting down on the bed. It took her a few moments to get her temper under control and the knock at her door nearly ruined all of that as she waited for Kol's voice to start taunting again. "Can I come in?" Stefan's voice asked instead and Rebekah didn't answer for a moment, unsure if she wanted to speak to him.

"Yes." After all, he was her ally in this, wasn't he?

"You know he was trying to rile you up?" Stefan started as he closed the door behind him.

"I'm quite aware of my brother's M.O., Stefan." She'd been dealing with it for over a thousand years. "Is there something else that you need? Because I'm quite spent on discussing my family at the moment."

Stefan tossed a book onto the bed. "I think this one mentions the cure," he told her, nodding toward the book and she picked it up, turning to the page he had marked. "But it's just in passing. I think what we need is a grimoire. Those have history and I think Bonnie's might have more details on it since she was apparently a descendant of Qetsiyah. Or so Shane told her."

Whether or not that was true was anyone's guess, but Stefan had a feeling it was. Could explain why Shane was so interested in Bonnie being the one to teach expression to. "A grimoire that just happens to be back in Mystic Falls," Rebekah grumbled, setting the book back on the table. "I'm sure you see the difficulty for us being able to get there without Nik getting suspicious." Especially with Kol learning what they were doing. She had no clue if he'd let Klaus know or not. He was always a wild card.

"Maybe not right away," Stefan agreed. "I'm sure an opportunity will present itself for us to head back to the States and when it does we make a side trip there." Easy enough.

Rebekah nodded, thinking over the idea in her head. Waiting for an opportunity would probably drive her crazy but it was better than ending up daggered in a coffin again. Then she'd never get what she wanted. "Thank you, Stefan."

"Why don't we get out of here for a bit? I doubt Klaus and Caroline will be back any time soon and I don't want to hang out with Kol's dead delivery boy or girl," Stefan started, and Rebekah looked up at him, surprised he wanted to be around her without them looking into the cure. "You've been here before so I figure you know some places we could look at."

"I do." Rebekah smiled as she rose, pleased when Stefan reciprocated it. "Though it's been a number of decades since I was here."

"We'll make do," Stefan replied, opening up the door for her.

He couldn't be doing this for Klaus. She supposed Kol could have talked him into it but it wasn't really Kol's MO to screw with her in this way. He enjoyed doing any annoying or manipulating all on his own, not needing to use others as pawns in his game. Perhaps Stefan truly did want to spend some time with her or at least get out of the house and she was the only company to take along with him since Caroline was occupied.

What could it hurt to try and have a little bit of fun for a few hours before all of the craziness of their lives caught up with them all over again?

* * *

"I'm well aware that the witch won't appreciate my coming along, Caroline. I simply do not care," Klaus pointed out, unable to help but smile as the young woman beside him started grumbling under her breath again. She had put in a valiant effort to try and list all of the reasons going alone to see Lucy would benefit them in their stop Silas' rise mission but he'd easily knocked each one down, enjoying the rise in her temper with each failed attempt. It was a cliché thought, thinking that Caroline was beautiful in her anger, but it was one he couldn't seem to shake.

The narrowing of her eyes, the clenched fists and little curl of her mouth as she practically snarled at him were glimpses of the passion, the yearning of the beast within to be released and allowed free reign and Klaus loved those glimpses, enjoyed pulling them out of her as much as her smile. Even if that seemed harder for him to get from her these days. Considering all that had transpired in the last few weeks it shouldn't have been a surprise that she was less able to do so around him, but he couldn't help how much he desired seeing that smile directed at him again. Having it be  _for him_ again.

"You will not be seeing her without me. Not when we've already had at least one witch—though we know it was most likely more because of the power it entailed—try to destroy your mind, to threaten your life. Forgive me for not wanting to let you walk into the den of another who could do the same," Klaus continued, trying to catch her eye, but she was purposefully not looking at him then, and he knew he'd struck a chord with her. Caroline had no desire to endure the torture she'd gone through in New Orleans any more than he wanted that for her.

The ring should protect her but until he knew that Lucy could be trusted Klaus wasn't allowing her to be alone with Caroline, and even then he highly doubted that he'd allow that to happen. It had nothing to do with not trusting Caroline nor thinking she wasn't capable of taking care of herself—though he did think she needed to learn more about doing that—but everything to do with his own protective streak. He couldn't dagger Caroline and tuck her away for safekeeping until the danger had passed, no matter how tempting that idea might have been. So Klaus had every intention of staying at her side to make certain she was fine, whether she appreciated it or not.

"You're so annoying," Caroline muttered, and Klaus grinned, amusement rising as they neared the house Lucy's note had directed them to. "I'd say try not to be all 'growly, I have to show everyone I'm the Alpha' but that'd be like asking you to not breathe or you know something that's impossible not to do or whatever. Just try and remember that we actually  _want_  her help so intimidation might so not be the best angle to play."

"I fail to see why it wouldn't be. It's worked well for me through the ages," Klaus reminded, mentally going over his own victories over the past thousand years.

"Hasn't worked out all that well in your little crusade to get me," Caroline countered with a smirk, though it quickly vanished when she realized he wasn't thrown off by her comment, but seemed to be intrigued by it. " _Ugh._  Just  _try_  and not be a jerk."

Klaus stopped her before they reached the door. "Just so we're clear before we go inside. You will  _not_  be leaving my side. I do not care if she wishes to get you into a room alone to speak about anything. I am not parting from you and while I will not use compulsion on you—" He watched her breath hitch at that, smelled her fear at the word, and Klaus paused, letting his words sink in and waited for the fear to dissipate. She nodded, watching him and Klaus smiled, hand sliding down her arm in an almost soothing gesture. "I have no problem snapping your neck if need be, Caroline, and getting you the hell out of this house. Do you understand?"

"Perfectly," she hissed, angry again and he enjoyed that scent on her, wondered what it would taste like as he motioned for her to knock.

The door opened revealing an older gentleman who quietly regarded the two. "There should only be the girl," he started in Dutch and Klaus gripped Caroline's arm tightly, knowing she was unable to understand what the man was saying, but wasn't about to allow her to step indoors without him.

"Either it is both of us or none will be entering," Klaus replied in the same language, feeling Caroline's annoyance spike at not knowing what they were saying.

"Let them both in," Lucy's voice came from further inside and Klaus could almost feel the barrier that kept them from entering drop at her words.

Klaus kept his hold on Caroline's arm as they entered, focus turning from her radiating anger to sensing how many were inside the building. Entering a witch's household wasn't always the smartest move and while it took quite a bit of power to subdue him, he wasn't foolish enough to think that they wouldn't be able to if they truly desired to do so. He'd simply need to know where each person in the house was located and calculate how long it might take to pry their hearts from their chests before they were able to cripple him in any capacity.

The man shut the door behind them and headed off into a room that had another in it. Two more were located upstairs and of course there was Lucy standing a few feet away, watching them closely. He didn't detect any fear from her, though it drifted through the house from the other occupants. Lucy gave off anger, annoyance, and something akin to acceptance.

"Considering the protectiveness you displayed toward Caroline during our brief meeting earlier I doubted that you would let her come alone," Lucy informed them as she turned and headed back toward a room, leaving them to follow. "Even if I would have preferred it." They entered the room and Lucy waved her hand, causing the door to shut behind them.

Klaus grimaced at the display of power, knowing she was trying to set him on edge, to showcase what she was capable of if pushed to a point she didn't want to be. He wondered what her head would look like on a spike. Perhaps attached to one of the ones outside that acted as a fence around the side of the house. Such a fitting end for a witch of her pedigree.

"Let's cut to the chase, I don't want you here. I don't want anything to do with vampires. Haven't since I ended my relationship with Katherine," Lucy continued as she sat down on one of the chairs, motioning for them to do the same.

Caroline tried to move forward to comply, but Klaus wouldn't release his grip and he wasn't ready to sit down yet either. "But the spirits believe that working together is the only way we'll truly get anywhere with all that's going on in the world. That the rise of Silas is too enormous a risk to let past grudges stand in the way of partnering up for his downfall." Lucy didn't look happy at the prospect of the partnership and Klaus couldn't blame the woman, especially if she'd had the misfortune of working for Katherine.

"I still find it surprising that the spirits don't believe they have enough power to allow you and your little Coven to do what must be done," Klaus commented, enjoying the narrowing of Lucy's eyes at the jab.

"Way to not listen to anything I say," Caroline grumbled, shaking her head at him.

"I listen to everything you say, Caroline," Klaus replied, glancing over at her. "I simply don't always adhere to it." He released his grip on her and motioned for her to take a seat, though he remained standing. "So what brought about the change? What is allowing for this partnership between the children of the Earth and abominations such as myself?"

Lucy leaned back, head held high as he watched her and Klaus knew there was more to it than all she had said. The spirits wouldn't want the team up unless certain circumstances were forcing it to occur and he meant to learn what those particular circumstances were. "Someone or something, perhaps a group, is killing witches and turning them before they die."

Ah. Well then, that certainly made things more interesting.

"Why would they bother turning them?" Caroline asked, and Klaus looked down at her, waiting for her mind to work out the answer to that particular question. "They don't have access to their magic, do they? If they turn into a vampire that's all lost."

"Yes," Lucy sigh. "Whole Covens have been killed this way. All that potential snuffed out and lost forever." There would be no carrying on of those family lines, no way for the magic to pass down to the next generation. It was lost in the wind, possibly never to be picked up again, and definitely unable to be utilized in the near future. It'd take decades if not centuries for the lost magic to right itself. "Whoever is doing it knows quite a bit about witches as well. They're targeting the oldest lines, the deepest rooted magic."

It was an ingenious plan, one that Klaus would have found amusing during another time and place, but even with how aggravating witches could be they did have their uses. "And so you need our help," Klaus replied, grinning.

That only seemed to make Lucy's scowl deepen which he found highly amusing and he curled his hands around the back of Caroline's chair, thoroughly pleased with the outcome. "As you need ours," Lucy bit back. "Or else everyone you want trapped on the Other Side will come back and considering you just spent one thousand years on the run from Mikael I doubt you want him on your tail again." She paused, head tilting to the side as if she was hearing something. "Or so the spirits say."

Klaus motioned at her to continue, ready to get to the point now that they were aware of the need for a partnership. "They also say a number of other things that are vital to what we'll be doing. Another Hunter has awoken, meaning we now have five in the world again. They need to be found and brought into the fold," Lucy told them, and Caroline clenched her hands in her lap at that fact. He had a feeling she was thinking of the Gilbert boy.

Seems his death hadn't quite done what Klaus had hoped it would.

"But aren't they wired to kill us?" Caroline asked, glancing up at him and back at Lucy.

"Their main task is to bring an end to Silas with the cure. Wanting to kill every other immortal in the world was a side effect of the spell," Lucy shrugged, obviously not caring too much about that point. "I am not saying they would be traveling with us, but we do need to know where they are and to make sure they do not fall into the wrong hands. Their mark is a map to where Silas is and while it cannot be seen by our own eyes at the moment, once one of them completes it then it'll spread to all of them for any to see. If they are with those who practice Expression then Silas will be awoken and hell will reign on Earth."

"So we find them and kill them," Klaus replied, though he wouldn't sully his hands with the act; simply compel another to do the deed as he had for Jeremy. He sensed Caroline tense up before him, no doubt thinking of that boy again.

"Do that and another potential will pop up elsewhere, just waiting to be activated and again fall into the wrong hands," Lucy pointed out, and Klaus pressed his lips together at the idea. "We find them, we fill them in on what they are if they don't know, and we keep them away from those who would use them."

"All while using them ourselves," Caroline grumbled. "So we'll just be giving them random vampires to kill to get the mark to complete? Or are we not trying to create the map? Because how are we supposed to stop Silas' rise if we don't actually know  _where_  he is?"

"We do what needs to be done," Lucy replied, a haunting lilt to her voice and Caroline shuddered at that, not liking the implication of all that might happen. "But before that can even happen we need the items that will help us actually destroy Silas. Not just keep him entombed, but will bring about an end so this won't happen again in another five hundred years."

"And what might we need?" Because Klaus had no intention of dealing with this mess in another year let alone in a number of centuries.

"Silas's tombstone, which was in Professor Shane's possession," Lucy replied, and Caroline nodded.

"It's probably still in Mystic Falls. It was being used at an exhibit at the High School. It should still be there," Caroline informed them.

"The sword of one of the original members of the Five," Lucy added, and Klaus nodded. He was fully aware of where Alexander's sword was currently resting, having already hidden it for safe keeping.

"We also need Qestiyah's bones which considering how valuable they are in magic have been scattered throughout the centuries," Lucy continued, and then looked at Klaus. "The location of an arm is known though. Collected by someone I'm sure you know. Goes by the name Vincent."

Klaus arched a brow at the name. Oh yes. He knew that particular collector rather well, even if he hadn't seen him in over a century. "Do you think you can get it?" Lucy asked, and Klaus smiled.

"Easily." Once he located Vincent at least. That particular vampire liked to move himself and his collection every few decades to prevent thievery.

"And we need my cousin," Lucy sighed, looking back at Caroline, no doubt trying to connect with Caroline. "Bonnie is a direct descendant of the Bennett line. She's the most powerful witch of this age and she will be needed to actually do the spell to bring Silas down. Even with the full backing of this Coven I can't meet what she'll be able to do with the right tools."

"She's already been lost," Klaus started, wanting nothing to do with a rescue mission for the Bennett girl.

"She's  _not lost,"_  Caroline glared at him, and he watched that loyalty he coveted shine through her, wanting it for  _him,_  not for her to dole it out to another of her friends. "She was just vulnerable and none of us even knew expression was bad. I don't even think Bonnie knew anything about the whole sacrificing part." She couldn't have. Bonnie Bennett wasn't going to go around killing people for power. That just wasn't who she was. "It was more just the power within. That's what Shane told her, that's how he pulled her into it. I'm not giving up on her."

Of course she wasn't, even if Klaus thought it'd be for the best if Caroline did so. Less heartache in the end when the girl died, whether that was in the immediate future or a number of years down the road, Bonnie Bennett was mortal and it would happen. Better to cut the pain off before it could start.

"Let me see if I got all of this straight. We need the tombstone, to round up the lot of Hunters, an arm, a sword, and a lost little witch who may already be too far gone for help. Am I leaving anything out?" Klaus asked, going through the list of all that they had talked about. "All things that I can easily obtain  _without_  your help. So I'm failing to see why I should keep you or your Coven around."

" _Klaus_ ," Caroline hissed, obviously not liking his threat.

Lucy smiled at him, and that alone was unnerving, the fact that she didn't try any power out on him only doubled that feeling. "Because you need the spell that Bonnie must say and only I have that knowledge in my head. But also because Silas' followers will be doing everything they can to stop you from reaching your goals." Lucy nodded toward Caroline's hand where the new ring sat. "They already got into her head once and as their power grows they'll attempt to do so again, and they might be able to override that protection. They'll go after others who also hate you and help them rise up, build armies to bring you down, and how will you complete your tasks if you're also fighting them off? We need you to help us locate what is needed, for added strength, just as you need us to stop others from getting in your way."

Lucy rose from the chair and Klaus watched her carefully, shifting so that he stood between her and Caroline. "There's talk among the spirits of another hybrid building an army in the US. One of werewolves and their goal is to find the cure and take you down, Klaus," Lucy continued, heading over to a side door. "So you think it over if you want my help or not."

Klaus clenched his fists, knowing full well who that other hybrid must be, and from Caroline's gasp he knew she'd figured it out too. Tyler Lockwood was on borrowed time. There was a lot to go over and while Klaus would prefer to continue on without the witches, he also knew that having them around—not trusting, only using—would be beneficial in the long run. He could always dispose of them later when they ceased being useful to him.

"It seems we have nothing to do but work with one another," Klaus replied, letting his distaste for the situation shine through in his tone. There was little point in pleasantries when it was already obvious how little he cared for Lucy and her lot. He knew the feeling was mutual.

"You can't kill Tyler," Caroline whispered, her voice only audible to his ears. He didn't respond. Not only could he, but he'd enjoy taking that boy's last breath from him.

"I have someone here who's been dying to see you. Well, dying to see Caroline. I doubt she cares much about seeing you," Lucy informed them and opened the door.

Klaus stiffened, ready to tear apart whoever was behind the door when he realized it was Sheriff Forbes. He certainly hadn't been expecting to see her there and from Caroline's choked sob as she pushed past him and headed straight into her mother's arm, Klaus doubted she'd expected to see her mother either.

"Why don't we continue to discuss logistics while letting them have their reunion?" Lucy suggested motioning for Klaus to stay as Liz started to pull Caroline from the room.

_No._  Klaus was upon the two in a moment, nearly wrenching Caroline from her mother's arms, when Caroline took a step back, one hand on her mother's arm still as she twisted so she could see Klaus, other hand pressing against his chest. His mind was a whirlwind; the only thought blinking through was he would not be separated from her, unsure of what game the witch was playing.

"I think we need to go back to the house and let the others in on what's happening before we get into logistics," Caroline murmured, and Klaus could almost see the wheels turning in her head.

If she had stepped out of the room with her mother there was no telling how he might have reacted and Caroline knew it. The tentative partnership that had just been orchestrated could all crumble to dust in seconds and she was not about to let that happen. Not if she could save Bonnie. Not if her mother could get hurt in the crossfire.

"We'll be going now," Klaus agreed his gaze locked on the Sheriff. "You're more than welcome to come with us, Sheriff Forbes." He doubted that Caroline would appreciate leaving the woman behind.

"I'm not leaving my daughter again," Liz replied, grip tightening for a moment on Caroline before she looked over at Lucy. "Thank you for all of your help."

Lucy simply nodded. "I expect to hear from you all soon. The longer we wait the stronger Silas' followers and Silas become."

Klaus didn't reply, motioning for Caroline and Liz to head toward the front door. The Sheriff turning up was an obstacle he hadn't thought he'd need to deal with. Getting any alone time with Caroline was going to become infinitely harder with her presence. Though he knew he couldn't get rid of her in his usual ways.

With time Caroline might forgive Matt and Jeremy's death, might come to understand that he had been trying to protect  _her,_ to protect the world, and himself. But if he were to harm Liz Forbes…that was something he instinctively knew Caroline would never forgive him for. He would just need to figure out how to work around her presence while continuing to try and break down Caroline's walls as well as deal with the rest of everything that was happening.

Not a big deal. He did enjoy a challenge.

 


	13. Chapter 13

_There is a sacredness in tears….They are the messengers of overwhelming grief, of deep contrition and of unspeakable love.-_ Washington Irving

* * *

"Were you ever going to fill me in on what's been happening?" Liz asked, unable to hold back the questions any longer. She knew Klaus and anyone else in the house could overhear her conversation with her daughter, but there was little she could do against that. They needed to have this talk, for her to be filled in on the exact extent of what had been transpiring under her nose.

A large dose of guilt ran through her, worry that she'd simply not seen the signs, that she hadn't been paying close enough attention to her daughter to know that the homicidal 'big bad' was apparently obsessed with her. Liz had thought he'd been that way with Tyler, with the whole hybrid thing that had happened. That's what Carol had believed as well before she'd ended up face down in a fountain.

Liz had invited the monster into their house, something she regretted and yet couldn't quite do that. It had been the only way to save her baby girl and she'd do anything to protect Caroline. But had opening that door to Klaus, giving him the invitation sparked something she  _couldn't_ protect her little girl from?

"I…" Caroline shrugged, teeth brushing against her bottom lip, a sure sign in Liz' book that her daughter was trying to come up with the  _correct_ answer, though that didn't necessarily mean it was the truth. "It wasn't anything and then it just…kind of became everything." Little half smile offered up next and Liz knew her daughter was about to try some humor on her. "Guess I should have paid more attention to those Lifetime movies."

Liz didn't laugh, eyebrow arched in disapproval. What troubled her the most was how easily Caroline's mood shifted from worry to fine-tuned control, none of the fear from moments ago seeping through... "Its fine, mom. I have it under control."

"Caroline," Liz started, not sure how her daughter could have any type of control over the situation she was currently in. She wasn't even entirely certain the extent of all that had happened or was currently going on. "He could snap at any moment and you'd be dead. Gone forever." Look at what had happened to Carol, to Klaus' hybrids out in the woods. How much pushing could Caroline do before she met her end at his hands?

"I know," Caroline murmured, though she wasn't looking at her mother any longer. Her gaze was far away, lost in thought, and Liz wondered what was going on inside her daughter's head.

"How did this even happen?" Because Liz couldn't figure that out. Klaus hadn't seemed to take much of an interest in her daughter when he'd first arrived in Mystic Falls and the whole blood saving part on Caroline's birthday had been to gain her loyalty…hadn't it? Though now she couldn't help but wonder if it hadn't been for that.

"I honestly have no idea," Caroline told her, shrugging as she looked back at her mom. "I didn't really think it was anything at first. I thought maybe he was trying to manipulate me, thought that I'd be an easy target and fall at his knees with his pretty jewelry and…things. But I  _didn't_. I threw them back in his face."

Liz frowned at the knowledge that there had been gifts. How had she not noticed gifts? She had thought she'd been doing better with Caroline, been more involved in her daughter's life in the last year, but it seemed she was still missing out on pivotal events.

"And then we kept needing me to kind of be the distraction, to like get him to not notice things. So I kept playing that part because, well." Caroline sighed, fingers smoothing down her hair, tucking it behind her ear. A clear sign that she was uncomfortable with the conversation. "Apparently he enjoys my company and…I don't know. He keeps saying…" Caroline looked away again, frowning for a moment, before she looked back at her mother. "It doesn't matter what he says. It's all just different ways of getting me to try and see him, to give him a chance, but like that's going to happen when he goes and kills or gets people to kill  _my friends_  and then thinks that showing me around Amsterdam is going to—and so  _maybe_  he's made sure I'm alive."

Liz didn't like at all how lost Caroline looked in that moment, though the verbal vomit coming from her daughter wasn't anything new, but that worry in her eyes, in the way she kept playing with the ends of the blanket had Liz wondering all that was going on between her daughter and Klaus. "But I think it got bigger than the whole fancying me thing but I don't even really know any more," Caroline continued with a shrug.

"Considering his brother kidnapped you to get his attention I think it's a little bigger than just that," Liz pointed out, though her head was still trying to wrap around the fact that Caroline and her friends had deliberately put Caroline into Klaus' path more than once. That she'd willingly been put into situations where Klaus could have easily hurt her, killed her, or worse was something that Liz was still coming to terms with.

"Well, he was obsessed with breaking a curse and killing his dad for like one thousand years, so maybe I'm the new obsession. I don't know," Caroline snapped, and then shut her eyes, taking a deep breath before she looked at her mom. "I'm sorry. I didn't…"

Liz reached over and picked up Caroline's hands, gently squeezing them. "I know," she assured, and Caroline nodded.

"I am okay though, mom. Not like great or anything, but I'm holding my own," Caroline told her, and it was Liz' turn to nod.

This wasn't at all what she wanted for her daughter. Being taken by crazy men, embroiled in a world of chaos and death. She had wanted to keep Caroline out of everything supernatural and when she had learned her daughter had turned, once she'd accepted and saw that Caroline was still her daughter, that all she'd been taught about vampires wasn't quite right, she'd wanted something close to normal for her. Had been pleased to see that Caroline was still cheerleading, still chair of entirely too many committees, doing things as she'd done as a human. Liz had thought her daughter might have something resembling a normal life.

But how was that possible if Klaus was a constant in Caroline's life? If he was always there, even if on the sidelines, waiting. It worried her that Caroline might have to deal with the Hybrid for centuries and while she knew her daughter was strong, Liz didn't want that craziness for her, but she wasn't quite sure how to stop it from happening. In a matter of years she would be dead and her daughter would be out there alone. Liz had thought that the others in their little supernatural community would be there for her daughter, but apparently they were more than happy to through her little girl into the lion's den, letting the obsession grow.

"I'll be okay," Caroline tried again, offering up a smile. Liz knew that one, the 'trying not to show how bad things were' smile. She hated that one, wanted to somehow replace it with a genuine one, but wasn't exactly sure how to go about that just yet. "Okay, enough depressing talk. Let's get into how you even got here and I'll tell you about some of the neat places to go in Amsterdam."

The first part wouldn't exactly brighten the mood, but Liz knew she needed to answer it. "I went looking for you when I realized that no one else would be," Liz told her, hating that she hadn't gone looking as soon as she realized Caroline was missing. Maybe she could have gotten her daughter away from Klaus already. "I went to Steven for help. He told me about what happened, hinted at what Lucy filled me in on. I'm sure that you can fill in the rest."

"Is he…okay?" Caroline asked, and Liz didn't like the haunted look in her eyes. "He wasn't exactly happy with how things went. He…is very intent on believing what he was told about vampires. Not that Klaus or Kol really helped dispel what he knew."

"Some prejudices run deep," Liz told her and Caroline simply nodded, but Liz could see how much that troubled her daughter. There was enough strife in their lives at the moment that Liz didn't want Caroline focusing on the bad, didn't want her to think about how a man who had once treated her as a daughter now wanted her dead. "Why don't you tell me about Amsterdam now?"

And there it was that genuine smile that Liz wanted to see broadening on Caroline's face. She listened to Caroline talk about various buildings she had seen, happily carrying on as they settled back against the headrest of the bed, Caroline curling into her body like she had when she was little. Liz brushed her hair, smiling as Caroline filled her in on the littlest things, tried to focus on what was being said to her. She couldn't quite help her mind drifting though to plans on how to make sure Caroline's friends never used her again to be a distraction as well as tried to figure out what exactly to do about Klaus.

She was her mother and Liz Forbes would do whatever she needed to protect her daughter. She hadn't been able to do anything when Caroline had been smothered to death with a pillow in her hospital bed, but Liz would be damned if anyone would hurt her daughter like that ever again.

* * *

Perhaps contacting his siblings first before accompanying Katherine back to Mystic Falls should have taken precedence, but Elijah couldn't' discount the validity of her plan. Getting the cure first to use as a bargaining chip for her freedom would benefit both of them greatly and if he went with her, if he was part of the negotiation then there would be less chance of any harm coming to her or his siblings. Though he did want to learn more about Rebekah's apparent daggering but the fact he had unanswered voicemails from his sister at least did allow him to know that she was roaming around freely. Hearing the details could wait until later.

He had never met the girl the two of them were currently questioning. Truthfully he didn't know many of the citizens in Mystic Falls, having kept his stays in the town to a minimum, aside from the part where he'd been daggered. His first stay had been to ensure Elena's survival and his next had been to help Niklaus end their mother's schemes. Getting to know the others in town not associated with the little Mystic Falls group hadn't seemed prudent and truthfully, he didn't even know all of the Mystic Falls gang all that well. Could pick them all out of a crowd, but he'd mostly associated himself with Elena and the Salvatore brothers.

He watched Katherine talk to the girl—April—and wondered exactly how long ago she had compelled the child. "Did you find out when exactly everyone left?" Katherine inquired, smiling when the girl nodded.

"Caroline was the first. She didn't make cheer practice and then I think Klaus was gone shortly after that. But I can't be certain because there isn't anything that I know he was supposed to attend. Bonnie, Stefan, and Elena didn't show up for school. Neither did Jeremy or Matt that Monday. And the Salvatore house has been empty since then as well," April replied, setting down the calendar in front of her. "So two weeks ago. I woke up Rebekah after hearing Caroline saying something in the bathroom around then. And the other brother Rebekah told me about, Kol, isn't in town but she talked to him on the phone. She wasn't happy and she left too."

"And where was my sister?" Elijah asked but the girl didn't respond. Clearly Katherine's compulsion only included her for who the girl needed to answer. He pointedly looked at Katherine, wanting the answer, and she nodded for April to answer.

"In a coffin. She said her brother and Stefan put her there," April continued, looking frightened for a moment before the same blankness was back to her features. "She's a vampire."

"Yes, but you'll forget that little tidbit of information when we're done here," Katherine murmured. "Had they been doing anything different than normal…hmm, not that you might know considering you'd just arrived back in town." She tapped her fingers on the table, trying to come up with a more appropriate question. "Who had they been hanging around recently?"

April listed off a great number of people, none of them of any interest—ranging from the dead hybrids to cheerleaders to other students before finally mentioning Atticus Shane. "He's a professor at the college. Bonnie was helping him with an exhibit on ancient stories. Something about a Silas?"

Elijah tensed for a moment at the name and Katherine looked over at him, wondering who in the world that could be. She'd never heard mention of the name. "He's part of an old tale, older than I," Elijah informed her. "Though he apparently had a following some time back. Kol killed the lot of them." Or so his brother had told him on one of their reconciliatory meetings. Elijah believed him though. Kol might exaggerate some of his kills but he never lied about them, always taking pride in what he'd done.

Katherine nodded, clearly wanting him to expand on what he knew. "It's a tale of love and betrayal. He tricked a powerful witch into granting him immortality. She thought he loved her but he loved another. The witch locked him away for eternity and killed his beloved, leaving him cursed and unable to ever see her again."

"His tombstone is at the school. It's part of the exhibit," April told them, and Katherine smiled, waving for her to continue. "That's when I remembered that he knew my dad. They taught at the college for a bit. Well, Shane permanently but my dad did for a little bit."

"Get to the point, April," Katherine hissed. The girl tended to ramble on and that got to be a bit headache inducing.

"He said there was a myth that Silas wants to rise again and that it would be wreak havoc on the world. There's a whole lot about it at the school," April finished.

"What of my siblings? Do you know what they know of the cure?" Elijah asked and again Katherine nodded for April to answer.

The girl shook her head. "I don't know anything that they're doing. Rebekah didn't tell me much after she left. Just to stay safe and watch the exhibit. That she would return when she could and that I had been a good friend."

Katherine leaned forward then, knowing they wouldn't get much more out of the girl. "You'll forget we were here and what all we discussed. Continue to keep watch on the town and let me know if any of that little group return," Katherine compelled and rose from her seat. "I want that tombstone."

"It's nothing but a myth, Katherine. A tale to warn men off betraying a woman with another," Elijah replied, finding the idea of retrieving the artifact absurd.

"We're myths, Elijah," she pointed out, already heading toward the door. "Can it truly hurt to look into it a little more? Maybe we can use it to trade for information on the map that we still need to locate to obtain the cure." She stopped at the door, pressing her body against his as she slid up to him. "We're still going to try and find that, correct? Obtain my freedom and finally stop hiding in the shadows, only getting a few moments here and there through the centuries."

"I think it would be better use of our time to head to the witch I know that might have actual answers," Elijah pointed out, though he smiled down at her, placing his hand on her cheek for a moment. He did not see the point in delaying now that April hadn't been able to reveal much to them.

"The Bennett witch was hanging out with this Shane fellow. She helped him with the exhibit and the tombstone belongs to a tale of an old immortal. I want it." Katherine didn't believe in coincidences. There had to be something to the exhibit, to the tombstone and the fact Bonnie had been hanging around the man that it all tied to some tale that Elijah knew. After all, immortals could die so why didn't this Silas simply kill himself and reunite with his lost love? There was more to the story and she meant to find out exactly what they were missing. "It'll take us fifteen minutes, if that to go and retrieve it."

Elijah simply nodded, knowing he'd never hear the end of it if they left the object where it was and it did turn out to be something useful. Better to allow her this small indulgence and then be on their way than have an eternity of what-ifs on his shoulder. "Very well. We'll take the stone and then head down to New Orleans to talk to Zelda. She should be able to fill us in on a few matters." And if he knew Kol at all, his brother most likely had seen the witch and perhaps he could learn what was happening with his siblings. Of course he could always call them, but it seemed that finding out from others seemed to give him more truths than heading to the source. His family had a way of embellishing their accounts to better suit them and Elijah had a feeling there would be a lot of that happening this time.

* * *

Klaus had overheard the ongoing conversation between the Forbes' women, not bothering to block out what they were saying until it steered into current events. If anything listening in had only helped to confirm his suspicions that Liz Forbes was going to be quite the obstacle in his pursuit of her daughter. He also didn't like how Caroline considered herself to be his latest obsession, even if he couldn't quite verbalize what it was that he saw happening between them, but knew for certain that she wasn't that.

If she'd merely been an obsession he'd have let the witches do their worst and carted her around as she had so feared back in New Orleans. He wouldn't have been fighting so hard for a smile directed his way, to hear her laugh at something he said, or to garner that loyalty she so easily gave to her friends that didn't deserve it. How precisely to show her that she was more than she feared was beyond him though.

The feelings that she stirred in him were ones that he dared not give name to and while at one point he would have forced them away, destroyed her for daring to pull such intense emotions from inside of him, now he simply wanted them reciprocated, for Caroline Forbes to want him—mind, body and soul of her own volition—just as he did her.

It'd been far easier when he only wanted one of those from another. The tricks to play were child's play at that point, having played the game so many times before with so many people through the ages. But they had always been disposable once their usefulness was over. Some killed, others abandoned, and some turned and allowed to trail along for a few decades before they too were left behind. Each and every single one collateral damage in one way or the other.

How Caroline had started as that and become something far greater to him was beyond Klaus and he had a feeling he'd spend the next thousand years without ever truly knowing what had shifted and had him seeing her in a new light.

"I see we acquired another in our little motley crew," Kol remarked as he entered the room, draping his body along the couch. Klaus didn't bother to look up from his sketch pad, continuing to work on the sketch that wouldn't leave his mind. "Isn't she the Sheriff of that boring little town? And mother to the girl whose pants you keep trying to get into?"

It took all of Klaus' restraint not to snap the pencil in half or throw it at his brother. This was Kol trying to bait him, or really, simply having a conversation. The two seemed to be one in the same most times. "Why ask questions you already know the answer to?"

"Oh don't go that route. Then you'll be no more fun than Elijah and we both already know how much of a bore he is," Kol tsked, shaking his head in mock disappointment. "Besides, I have _interesting_  news about our dear sister."

"She's still looking into the cure," Klaus replied, adding some shading to cast shadows onto the face he was creating. He could practically feel his brother's disappointment at having guessed what Rebekah was up to. "She tried to tell me that she and Stefan were looking into the whole Silas story, wanting more facts than the witches already gave us. I see no reason for her to do that unless she wishes to gain something." It wasn't like Rebekah to double check facts if it wouldn't get her what she desperately wanted. "And we both know what she's wanted since joining up with us."

"The cure," Kol confirmed, leaning his head back against the arm of the sofa. "Actually believes she'd like a go at being human. I'd give her a week before she came begging one of us to turn her back."

"She won't be getting it," Klaus stated. There was simply no way he was allowing his baby sister to take a cure and  _die_ because that would be the end result. She'd grow old and eventually die, leaving them all behind, breaking the promise of always and forever, ad Klaus had no intention of ever letting that come to pass.

"We don't even know what side effects there might be to it. If we do retrieve it—which we shouldn't as we want Silas to remain where he is—then I say we give it to the other Salvatore. See what happens before you dole it out to the doppelgangers and continue on with your species making," Kol suggested with a shrug.

"Plan changed. We're destroying not simply entombing him any longer," Klaus informed him, waiting for his brother's reaction to that notion.

"And when were you going to inform all of us exactly what you talked about with the witch? Aside from bringing home your future mother-in-law?" Kol mused and Klaus pressed his lips together, hearing the amusement in his younger brother's voice. He really needed to collect his daggers.

"Rebekah and Stefan are on their way back. As soon as they return we'll have a chat." No point in saying it all twice when he had specific parts for each of them to fulfill.

Klaus looked up at the steady heartbeat nearing the room, easily picking out that it was Liz Forbes making her way toward his study. He could hear the shower starting upstairs and had a feeling Caroline was the one to be using that. Perhaps it would be a good idea not to think about the baby vampire in the shower moments before her mother made her presence known. "Go get a bite to eat or find a way to entertain yourself out of this room— _away from Caroline—_ or I will snap your neck in the next few seconds," Klaus warned, glancing up at Kol.

Kol laughed for a moment before disappearing from the room and out of the house. That worked for the moment, but Klaus was well aware that his brother could easily return at any second to cause chaos. The conversation that was about to happen would be full of enough strife there was no need to add more.

At the knock on the door, Klaus placed his sketch pad down, making sure it was closed. "Come in, Sheriff Forbes." Or should he call her Liz? Perhaps sticking with Sheriff for the moment would be the wisest move.

She hadn't cowered in his presence the night he'd gained an invitation into her home and Klaus was pleased to see she didn't as she walked into the room. It was easy to see where Caroline got some of her fearlessness from as Liz closed the door behind her, entering the room and stopping a few feet from him. He was readying to offer her a drink or a seat but never got the chance.

"I'm not dumb enough to demand that you leave Caroline alone. That you let us walk out of here in the next half hour and we never see your face again. I've already figured out from my conversation with her, with Lucy, and from simple observation that it's not going to happen," Liz Forbes started, staring down at him with a ferociousness he didn't know she had inside of her. He wondered if this was what lioness looked like when another was threatening their cubs. It wouldn't surprise him if that was the case. He had heard she'd threatened her ex-husband after saving Caroline from her father's torture. A true mother's love, Klaus wasn't sure he'd ever been privy to see it before, certainly not from his own. "I'll be having a lengthy conversation with each of her friends—starting with Stefan—about how she's no longer to be used as a pawn in their games with you."

"Quite a good idea," Klaus interrupted, rising from his spot and wasn't sure if he was pleased or not that the woman didn't flinch. "They're becoming rather reckless in sending her my way to distract me from all of their little plans. But I have no plans to harm a hair on your daughter, Sheriff."

He headed over to table and picked up the carafe of scotch, holding it up for her. "Would you like some?" He couldn't help but be slightly amused that she shared a similar glare with her daughter.

"How many enemies do you have?" Liz continued, shaking her head as he started to answer. "Not how many can actually kill you? We both know you can only die from the stake that Damon told me about. My question is how many do you have that would like to exploit the fact that you're drawn to my daughter? She's not as powerful as you and while I don't doubt that she can take care of herself, that being a vampire has made her strong and fast and deadly if she wants to be, she's nowhere as invincible as you. She's far easier to kill."

"I'm aware," Klaus replied, narrowing his eyes as he poured himself some scotch. Hadn't he just saved Caroline weeks ago from having her mind destroyed because witches wanted to send him a message?

"She has eternity to live. Do you really think it's fair for her to live it always looking over her shoulder, waiting for someone who hates you to end her life, to drive her mad because it would hurt you?" Liz asked, and Klaus had to ease up on the grip he had on the glass, not wanting to show the effect her questions had on him. "I think we're done here. I'm going to go spend some more time with my daughter now."

"And what of you?" Klaus asked whirling around before Liz reached the door. "What of your vulnerability and how that will leave a hole inside of her once she loses you? You continue on with a job that could get you killed at any moment, in a town where death seems to be on the rise every year, knowing that you'll leave your daughter an orphan. None of us can tell the future, Liz. I can call you that, can't I?" He quite enjoyed the narrowing of her eyes on that. "As you said, Caroline has an eternity to live and I have every intention of making sure each year of it is a magnificent one."

He set down his glass and leaned back against the table, studying her. "I asked for your support once and we never really did work that out, now did we?"

He took her silence as confirmation that she remembered that promise for the blood he'd given Caroline. "I have no plans to harm you,  _Liz._  Caroline would be most upset if that were to happen. But do not think that you can manipulate me with what-if scenarios that play on my intentions toward your daughter. I have no problem doling out the consequences I would on you to others in your name."

Klaus turned away from her, picking up his glass of scotch again. "Now I do believe we're done here. You might want to freshen up in one of the available rooms. We'll be going out for dinner in an hour. Wouldn't want you to starve."

Klaus picked up his sketch pad and headed out of the room and up the stairs before Liz could say another word to him. He stopped at the top, surprised to find Caroline peeking out of her bedroom, no doubt listening for her mother's heartbeat. "We had a lovely chat and she's fine," Klaus assured, unable to stop his gaze from moving down to her towel clad body. "We'll be going to dinner soon. I expect you both downstairs in an hour."

He headed off to his own quarters before Caroline could respond, needing to take a shower of his own and then perhaps break a few things to quell the rage inside of him at Liz' line of questioning. Had she really thought he hadn't considered those same consequences; that he hadn't gone over how finally having Caroline to himself would put her in a whole new world of danger.

But in a thousand years he hadn't wanted anyone as badly as he wanted her. He hadn't ached to spend time with anyone as he did her, for a glimpse of a smile, to hear a note of a laugh. Perhaps it had been because of his sole focus on survival, getting away from Mikael, of breaking the curse. He'd never had time to contemplate anything else. Love was for all intents and purposes a weakness.

All Klaus knew was that he wanted Caroline, every inch of her, and that he meant to spend the next thousand years showing her the world, showing Caroline her true potential, and nothing was going to stand in his way.

* * *

After trying a locator spell three different times and coming up empty, Bonnie had called her father to see if he could shed any light on where her mother might be. Surprisingly he actually had an idea and a phone number for her to try. She hadn't expected anything of it and couldn't help but be a little annoyed when he started trying to figure out where she was and what was going on. What was with the caring parenting routine all of the sudden?

Part of her might have yearned for it, wanted him to see all of the craziness she'd been through the in the last two years, but the rest of her knew she didn't have time for it. There were bigger things at stake—like the world continuing to exist without hell pretty much opening up on Earth—and she'd hung up on him and turned off her phone. She probably should get rid of it, wasn't sure if Valerie and her crew could use that to track her down, but then again, they were all witches and probably could have used a simple locater spell to find her. Even if she couldn't seem to get any of hers to work.

"Hungry?" She glanced over at Eddie who was in the driver's seat. They weren't heading anywhere in particular at the moment, just away from Valerie. "Because I think I can eat now."

"The signs say there are some places at the next exit," he informed her, nodding toward one of the highway signs they were coming up on.

It should be safe enough to stop. They definitely had gotten a head start on Valerie and the others and Bonnie knew there was no point in wearing themselves out when the real danger probably hadn't even started yet. "Your dad was asking you about school," Eddie continued, and Bonnie nodded, pocketing her phone again. "Like…high school?"

"Yeah, I'm a senior. Last year of it." Though considering how many days she'd missed by this point she might have to redo the year.

"How are you younger than me and so much calmer about everything that's going on?" He shook his head, not sure if he should be impressed by that or not.

"I've been dealing with it all for almost two years now." Of course when she'd first learned she was a witch it had actually been exciting. Then everything else had snowballed and exploded to a point where all she could do was keep on going to save her friends. "You get used to it."

Only not really.

"I don't think I'll ever get used to it," Eddie murmured, steering the car toward the off-ramp. Their choices didn't seem to be much more than a few random fast food places but that would do for now. "The dreams. That urge to kill."

"I helped my friend through that once. I'll figure out how to do it with you too," Bonnie assured. Though it'd be harder than it had with Jeremy. No one Eddie cared for was a vampire…or well, a currently living vampire.

Eddie nodded, and then sighed, clearly not wanting to talk about it for a while again. "Want to go in or do the drive through?"

"I don't know about you but I need to stretch my legs." Being in the car for as long as they had been was definitely causing cramps in places she didn't know was possible.

"Same."

Twenty minutes later and they were sitting at a table, munching on a variety of burgers and fries. "My dad gave me a number for my mom. I'm going to see if it works and she can help us find someone who we can work with." To do what exactly she wasn't entirely sure, but it was better than them driving around blind.

Eddie nodded again, mouth full of food, so he raised his cup and pointed toward the machines before leaving the table. Bonnie watched him leave before turning on her phone and dialing. She wasn't sure anyone was going to answer for the longest moment, but then she heard her mother's cautious answer.

"Hi…"  _Mom._  It was on the tip of her tongue to say but she couldn't get it out. "It's Bonnie."

"Bonnie? Where are you? Are you safe?" Abby asked, and Bonnie frowned at the worry she heard in her mother's voice. She hadn't expected it.

"I'm safe." She didn't feel comfortable giving out a location. "For now at least. I kind of got caught up in some stuff, mom, and I'm wondering if there are any witches that you trust. And I mean _really_  trust."

There was a long pause and Bonnie held her breath, waiting to hear a reply, wondering why her mother sounded so frantic. She could hear her saying something to someone else but couldn't really make it out. Too bad she didn't have special hearing like the rest of her friends. "The list has shortened dramatically in the last few days but I have a few that you can go. But I need to know…is Elena there?"

"Elena? No. I haven't seen her in weeks." Not since she'd incapacitated her friend so she could get out of the Salvatore boarding house.

"Don't trust her if you do see her, Bonnie. Something isn't right with her. I'm not exactly sure what but she's not herself," Abby told her, and Bonnie shook her head, wondering what her mother was going on about.

"I know she's a vampire now, mom." That hadn't been the case when Abby had been in town last.

"It's not that. I mean she's dangerous and not because of that change. She's killing witches, Bonnie. Killing them and turning them. Witches that are all related to the Bennett line somehow."

"What? Are you sure it's Elena?" Because that didn't sound like her. That sounded like Katherine. "She has a doppelganger."

"Would Damon go after her doppelganger?" Abby asked, and Bonnie frowned. Maybe? He would have a year or so ago or even now if he wanted to kill Katherine.

"I don't know." It was the truth. She had no idea what Damon would do anymore.

"I'll give you a name. I'm heading there myself with a few others who I managed to help escape from her. We'll meet up there and fill each other in on everything that's happened," Abby told her, before giving some details.

Bonnie scribbled them down, nails biting into her palm as her mother hung up. She had wanted more time to talk, to just hear her voice, but it seemed she'd never get that opportunity. Why she even still held out for it was beyond her.

"You okay?" Eddie asked, coming back to the table with his refilled drink and some more fries.

"Yeah. Ready to go?" Because she wanted to get to the other witches as soon as possible.

"Sure. I'll just eat this in the car."

Bonnie nodded and picked up her half-eaten meal, putting it back in the bag it had come in. She'd finish up in the car as well. No point in wasting time when they finally had a place to go and when she wanted more answers on why Elena would be killing Bennett related witches. It didn't make any sense but she had a feeling it was tied into Silas and Valerie and the others. Which meant everything was at a larger scale than she'd thought and Bonnie had a feeling the mess would only continue to grow until she figured out a way to stop it.

* * *

The last thought that should be on her mind was wondering how long she'd be out if she impaled herself with a butter knife. It'd kill her for a bit but because it wasn't wood she'd come back to life. It would just get her out of the awkward dinner that was currently happening. Going out with her mother and Klaus would have been bad enough. Caroline figured she would have needed to try and make small talk to counter the glares that would no doubt be thrown between the two of them—and  _she_ was the immature one? Seriously?!

But on leaving the house for the torturous event, Stefan and Rebekah had been returning, and apparently her mother wanted to have a conversation with the youngest Salvatore and so the two of them had been invited along. And then Kol had turned up moments later, inviting himself along, and Caroline just knew it was going to be a very trying evening.

At least they'd been seated in a private room so no one but the staff would have to deal with the craziness that would be their meal. Caroline doubted the Originals knew how to have a civilized meal any longer. Knives and forks thrown at one another seemed to be pretty common place. At least no one had driven a weapon through anyone's hand yet.

"I'd think you'd be happy to finally have us all sitting down for dinner, Nik," Rebekah remarked, smiling as she picked up her glass of wine. "Though perhaps that was before, when you actually worked at using that little spiel of yours about family."

"I think he's rather annoyed that we interrupted his dinner with his future mother-in-law," Kol piped up and Caroline wondered how much trouble she'd be in if she threw her fork at him. "Don't worry, Sheriff Forbes, we'll make a decent vampire out of her yet."

"Caroline has done a superb job of being the exact kind of vampire she wants to be. One that has an inner strength and integrity that you seem to lack," Liz replied, and while Caroline was grateful for the words she was worried about any retaliation Kol might do for them.

Thankfully he laughed, looking at Liz at first before turning his attention to Klaus who glowered at him. "Shall we tell her of Caroline's near slip up the other day?" Kol inquired, gleeful glint to his eyes as he looked back at Liz. "She was near ravenous for the person I offered up. Would've drained her dry if it weren't for Nik ruining it all."

"I have blood bags now so it won't be an issue again," Caroline muttered, offering her mom a reassuring smile.  _Please don't see me as a monster_. She still remembered what it felt like when her mother did. Those few short days of knowing her mother wanted nothing to do with her, of thinking that's all she was and that her little girl was gone. She released a breath she hadn't realized she'd been holding when her mother gently squeezed her hand.

"My daughter has her own moral compass and anyone that  _truly_ cared for her wouldn't try and change that," Liz stated, releasing Caroline's hand as the food was finally delivered to the table. "Or use her as bait against someone could kill her in seconds."

Oh god. Caroline didn't even try to look at Stefan. She could practically  _feel_  the guilt coming off of him. "So why don't we fill everyone in on what Lucy told us now?" Caroline suggested because her appetite was pretty much depleted. The faster they could end this mess of a dinner, the better in her opinion.

"Yes, why are we still working with the witch if she already clued you in on it all?" Rebekah asked, arching a brow at him. "I thought you'd have disposed of her earlier today. Or did you not want to upset dear little Caroline?"

"We still have use for the witch and her Coven," Klaus replied, not bothering with the rare steak in front of him. He filled the others in on everything they had learned, noting that Rebekah sat up a little straighter at the mention that someone would need to return to Mystic Falls. He wondered precisely what she wanted to retrieve from there and would make sure to look into it later. No point in not giving her the task to retrieve the tombstone though. She'd do it on her own and leave any other task he might hand out to the wayside to get her own way.

"Kol will accompany Lucy to retrieve the Bennett witch," Klaus started, going through how he'd broken down the group for the next few tasks.

"The rest of you are awful with witches," Kol conceded, and Rebekah scoffed.

"Because you were doing such a lovely job of schmoozing Lucy onto our side as she nearly made your brain explode," Rebekah murmured, easily catching the fork Kol sent her way.

"Rebekah and Stefan will retrieve the tombstone from Mystic Falls," Klaus continued, watching as Rebekah folded her napkin neatly in her lap before bringing her wine glass to her lips, trying to hide her smile. He knew all of his sister's tells.

"Liz, I thought you could help those from Lucy's Coven who are looking for the rest of the Five," Klaus told her, waiting for a counteroffer. He knew she wouldn't leave Caroline's side without a fight.

"Caroline and I would love to do that task, wouldn't we?" Liz asked, turning to look at her daughter and Caroline simply started to mentally count to ten, waiting for the explosion.

"Caroline will be staying with me," Klaus replied, his voice low, the yellow coming out in his eyes.

"Then so will I," Liz replied, not wavering in her position as she looked at him.

"I think I'd like to join your group, Nik," Kol commented, leaning forward a bit. "Seems like it'll be the most amusing."

Klaus never got to respond, none of them did, and Caroline watched in growing horror as everyone at the table but her began to grab their head. It was her mother's scream that had Caroline moving, trying to figure out what was happening as her mother nearly fell off the chair, Caroline catching her body before she could hit the floor. Blood was seeping out of Liz' noses and Caroline looked helplessly on as her mother tried to fight off whatever was happening.

Caroline could hear Liz' heartbeat spiking, the strain of the organ to keep blood pumping through her body. She looked around at the others, trying to figure out what was happening. Stefan was balled over, hands on his head and she had a feeling it was like the spell Bonnie did to attack vampire's minds, all those little eruptions in their brain. Klaus was on the floor as well, but his hands were on the ground, nails digging into the hardwood floor and she watched as he tried to fight off the change his body was trying to force him to do.

"Find them," he all but growled, hybrid features becoming more pronounced and Caroline knew she'd been right in her earlier assessment. It had to be witches and they were probably nearby in order to be able to hurt all of them to this extent. She wasn't sure why she wasn't being affected. Maybe because of the ring?

She didn't want to leave her mother behind, but knew the fastest way to help her out was to put a stop to the spell that was being performed. Caroline closed her eyes, concentrating on the sounds around them and tried to pick out where the witches might be.

In the distance to the right she could make out chanting and she placed Liz on the ground, noting that her mother's heartbeat was beginning to slow down too much. Caroline flashed out of the restaurant and toward the chanting, not stopping until she got to where the five men and women were in the alleyway, still murmuring their spell. She listened for her mother's heartbeat, heard it slow to almost a standstill, and didn't even think as she flashed over to the group, snapping necks as she moved through the hallway.

She was gone before the last one touched the ground and back at her mother's side, willing her to be okay. Everyone else was already rising, saying things, but Caroline didn't pay any attention to them. "Mom?"

Liz' heartbeat was slowly going back to normal, she was still breathing, but she wasn't opening her eyes. "Mommy?"

She had to be okay. She wasn't ready to lose her mom yet. Not for at least fifty more years. Maybe even longer than that. Caroline tore into her wrist and pressed it against her mother's mouth, willing her to drink, needing her to open her eyes. She could only imagine the damage the spell had done to her mother's body. "Please, mommy, please."

"Caroline," Stefan said, placing a hand on her shoulder and she shrugged him off.

She would not take platitudes from anyone right then and there. She was just going to make sure her mother was okay. That was all that mattered. "Move, sweetheart," Klaus told her, gently pushing her to the side as he tore into his own wrist and filled one of the glasses up with it. He picked Liz up, tilting her head back and poured the liquid down, letting it fall through her throat.

Caroline didn't breathe for a few moments, silently praying that it worked, and then nearly collapsing forward as her mother stirred, coughing. Caroline enveloped Liz into a tight hug, making sure not to injure her with her strength, and was so damn grateful when her mother's arms wrapped around her in return.

Eventually she looked up at Klaus, tears in her eyes.  _Thank you_ , she mouthed, vocal chords not quite working.

"Seems like someone might be getting laid," Kol remarked from the sidelines before his body fell to the floor, neck snapped in an awkward position and Klaus standing over him.

"Well, hasn't this been entertaining," Rebekah stated, heading for the door. "I'm going to go get an actual bite and I'll meet you all at home."

"Stefan, help Caroline get her mother back to the house," Klaus ordered as his sister left. "I'll deal with Kol."

"And the bodies," Caroline murmured, staring at the floor. "I…they're in the alley."

Klaus simply nodded. "Go."

Caroline helped her mother to her feet, glancing back at Klaus once before she headed out of the door with her mother and Stefan. She couldn't breakdown yet about what she had done. Not until she was certain her mother was okay, not until she knew that Liz was resting in the bedroom. Only then would she replay all that had happened and let it sink in that she'd just killed five people.

She wasn't sure that she'd regret it though and she knew she'd do it again in a heartbeat if it meant saving her mother's life. Caroline just wasn't sure what that said about her and was terrified to find out.

 


	14. Chapter 14

_The price of love is loss—_ Next to Normal

* * *

Liz's body had been through a lot of strain, and while Klaus' blood was definitely working and bringing her back from the brink of death, the stress she'd been under was obvious. Stefan and Caroline had managed to get her back to the house and up into Caroline's bed before the woman passed out. Caroline couldn't help but freak out for a moment as her mother's eyes closed and she didn't respond to her prodding her. But her heartbeat was steady and her breathing was normal. She was simply asleep, no doubt needing the time to recuperate.

She wasn't a vampire. Even if she would heal quickly because of the blood, Liz would still need time to mentally heal from the attack. Caroline knew her mother was strong, one of the strongest people she knew, but she didn't like the thought of Liz going through anything like that again. She still wanted to know why she'd been the only one not affected. Was it because of the protection ring that she wore? It was supposed to keep the witches out of her dreams; maybe it kept their spells out of her head as well. Would one work on her mother? Because she was going to be asking for one just in case anyone tried the same trick twice.

Not that the witches who'd attacked would ever be able to do anything again. She'd made sure of that when she'd ended their lives.

The guilt still wasn't coming. She kept waiting for it to sink in, for her to regret not figuring out a way that would have ended with them living, but nothing happened. Her thoughts kept twisting to if she hadn't killed them then they'd only be trying it again once they woke from unconsciousness and what if her mother didn't survive a second attack? It was the witches' fault for attacking them. If they hadn't tried to incapacitate the group then Caroline wouldn't have retaliated.

Except the Originals were supposed to be the bad guys. The like  _uber_ -bad that caused every other supernatural creature and humans in the know to fear the darkness, and witches hated them, thought they were unnatural and needed to be wiped off the earth a lot of the time. Maybe they had been trying to do a service to the world or something, lock the Originals away once and for all. Hadn't her friends and she tried to do the same more than once?

But her mother was innocent. And the Originals were trying to prevent Hell on Earth and…Caroline sighed, wishing that life would become less complicated the uncertainty of it all driving her mad. The black and white categories that she had for the world, for her morals, were being forced apart and reworked into entirely too many shades of grey. It made her uneasy, and she felt out of her element, no longer being able to hold onto truths that she once believed in with every fiber of her being.

Liz moaned in her sleep, face contorting in pain for a moment and Caroline looked down at her, gently brushing her mother's hair as her face eased back to normal. "She'll be okay," Stefan murmured from the doorway and Caroline nodded, not bothering to look behind her. "You're not though."

"I'll be fine," Caroline replied, continuing to look down at Liz, needing to know she was still breathing.

"Caroline, you can't even feed from someone living and you just killed a couple of witches," Stefan started, and she sensed that he was closer to her. "I don't think that you can be—"

"It had to be done." She looked back at him then, unsurprised to find him standing at the foot of the bed. "They wouldn't have stopped coming at us. And maybe if they got a second chance it would've been too much for her body to handle."

"So…you're going to kill every witch who comes after us now?" Stefan asked, and she didn't like the uncertainty in his eyes.

Caroline looked away. "Only those who are killing my mom." And her friends. The people she loved. If she could save them by stopping another person then she'd do it. She knew she would. Or at least she was pretty damn certain that she would. "Like you do for Elena. And for Damon, even though he so doesn't deserve it half the time."

"It's a slippery slope, Caroline," Stefan continued, and he touched her shoulder, trying to get her to look at him again.

She shrugged him off, keeping her focus on her mother. "I'm pretty sure everything is a slippery slope now. But I'm not looking to actively kill people. I'm not going out and doing it for fun. I'm just saying that if someone tries to hurt her again that I won't hesitate. That I won't feel guilty for protecting my mom."

"I could argue that those witches were probably someone's mom or dad," Stefan started, though there wasn't any real fight in his voice. Caroline had a feeling that he understood her reasoning but was trying to work it through with her, to make sure she was seeing all the angles so that it didn't all bombard her later at some inconvenient point when she was unable to properly deal with all that happened.

"Then I guess they should've been with their kids instead of trying to hurt my mom," Caroline muttered, smoothing out the cover around Liz. "And sure, maybe they thought they were doing the right thing, but my mom has nothing to do with this and I will not let her ever be collateral damage."

"That's going to be hard to do if she's heading off with you and Klaus to seek out some other vampire," Stefan murmured, sitting down on the bed beside her.

Caroline knew it would be, but she couldn't come up with an alternative. She didn't want Liz going off with any of the others. She couldn't keep an eye on her then, couldn't do whatever it took to protect her, but having her on the trip with Klaus was asking for trouble. But maybe Klaus would protect Liz as well? He'd given her his blood when Caroline had been too distraught to even figure out how to force it down her mother's throat and Caroline knew that had saved her mother's life.

She'd be forever grateful for that. It didn't knock out all the bad he'd done to everyone else, but Caroline couldn't discount that it definitely earned him some brownie points. "I'll figure it out," she told Stefan and then lay down beside her mother. "I think I'm just going to lay with her for a while."

She could practically hear him pause, that slight intake of breath as he was about to say something, stopped, and decided on a different course. She knew he was trying to help but at the moment she didn't want to talk about what-ifs, she simply wanted to curl up safe in the knowledge that her mother was okay. For now at least. Figure out ways to keep her safe in the future.

"I'm right down the hall if you need anything," Stefan reminded, reaching down to brush Caroline's hair back before heading out of the room.

Caroline listened to the movements around the house, noting that Klaus still wasn't home. Rebekah had returned and was packing for her journey back stateside and Caroline could hear Stefan heading over to her room. She really didn't want to hear their conversation so Caroline closed her eyes and focused in on her mother's heartbeat. It was the most important sound in the world to her and she meant to memorize it, to learn all its nuances so she could better protect her. No matter what it took to do so.

* * *

Clean up wasn't an issue when Hybrid speed was utilized. He could have deposited the bodies in a number of places, keeping them out of sight, but he needed to know if they had been played, needed to see firsthand how Lucy reacted to the dead men and women to truly know if she'd been behind the attack. He'd left Kol behind in the restaurant, compelling the staff to leave the room alone until he returned. It'd be a few hours still before his younger brother awoke and if by some rare chance he did awaken before Klaus returned, then he figured Kol would have plenty of options for a snack at his disposal.

He flashed one body after the other to Lucy's house, dropping the bodies off in front of the doorway. The door opened when he returned with the last one, grimacing at Lucy who stood looking down at the dead. "What the hell are you doing? Who are these people?" she demanded, confusion turning to annoyance and finally anger. "Are they dead?"

Perhaps they hadn't been part of her Coven. Good to know. Definitely in her favor for the moment. "Seems someone thought it'd be a nice evening to try and take me and my family down. Had to put a stop to them. Hope you don't mind the mess," Klaus replied, stepping over the bodies and entered the house.

He passed by the other members of the Coven, all of them in various states of waking as they headed down the stairs and out of other rooms. Klaus could hear Lucy ordering them to bring the bodies in before anyone saw them as he headed into the room he'd been in only hours before. "Why did you bring them here?" Lucy asked, following after him once the others were following her directions.

Klaus didn't bother to turn around and look at her, studying the various books on display in the shelves instead. "Needed to see if my suspicions were true or not. I suggest you be grateful that I see that they were not."

He could sense her annoyance growing, giving way to anger again, before realization set in with just how much trouble her Coven had been in only moments ago. He had free reign of the house since he'd been invited and if he'd wanted to he could have torn through a good deal of them before anyone realized what was happening. "Curious thing about the attack. Caroline was unaffected. Not an inkling of pain," Klaus continued, finally turning around to look at Lucy. "Have a feeling it has to do with that lovely new ring of hers. I'll be wanting one for everyone in our little entourage."

"It'll work for the vampires but not the witches or Sheriff Forbes," Lucy informed him, and he frowned, not liking that answer. He could care less if it helped the witches or not, but the Sheriff was going to need some sort of protection. Caroline's focus was going to be deterred if that wasn't possible. "My Coven and I have our own counter spells, our own powers to draw on to push away whatever they're sending at us, but Sheriff Forbes is a human. She doesn't have any sway with the spirits, any way to tap into that energy."

"How about something akin to a Gilbert ring? I'm sure you know what that might be." It wasn't the best solution, but it would give her some added protection. Could easily be circumvented—his hybrids had nearly succeeded a few times back when he'd first ordered them to kill the Gilbert boy before he'd been sent away—but it was better than nothing.

"I'd need the Bennett grimoire in order to make one. I don't know that spell by heart and the people who would have been able to give me the one from theirs have all been compromised." She frowned and he had a feeling she was thinking of all the witches who'd been killed. Klaus really didn't see the point of wondering about them. They were turned, useless to him and he wanted answers that would work, not that might have a day or two ago.

"If Stefan and Rebekah can retrieve it I can do that, but until then, if she is with all of you then she is at risk," Lucy continued and the two could hear the others trying to figure out what to do with the bodies. "And I'll need to see Caroline's ring in order to determine what all was done for replicas of that one."

Ah yes.

"It will not be coming off her hand." Klaus wasn't about to chance the witches striking at the exact moment it left her finger. For all he knew they were constantly trying to enter her mind and he wasn't going to allow that to happen. Lucy nodded and Klaus headed toward the door, not wanting to be in the witch's house longer than needed. "I'll be back tomorrow with Caroline."

"Next time don't bring me your messes," Lucy grumbled, and Klaus simply grinned as he headed through the hallway, enjoying the rise of fear and resentment that surrounded him before heading out the door and down the street to retrieve Kol.

Hopefully his younger brother hadn't woken already and well, if he had, then hopefully he'd left him someone to eat. He was feeling rather famished and should probably get that taken care of before heading back to the house to check in on the others. Klaus paused, seeing a young couple up ahead, walking hand in hand down the canal street.

Perhaps he'd get that bite to eat first and then retrieve Kol.

After he made these two run and scream, after he could smell the fear, the hopelessness running through their veins, before making one watch the other die. The second always tasted better than the first. It was that added terror, nothing quite matched that high of drinking from them until every last bit of hope drifted away, leaving nothing but despair in its wake.

He headed toward the unwitting couple, smiling as they realized he was behind them, apprehension already starting to drip off them. "Run," he grinned, watching their eyes widen, sweat begin to bead on their foreheads as they took off, pulling one another to get away as fast as they could.

Klaus watched them leave, allowed that false hope to build as he gave them a head start, before flashing to them and catching the young man around the collar, easily yanking him back and tearing into his neck. The woman cried out, unsure if she should tug at her partner or run in terror and Klaus grabbed her wrist before she could flee, pulling away from the young man for a moment.

"You will not leave," he compelled, delighting in the tears that caused before turning back to the man.

The streetlights shown down on her blonde hair, giving it an almost halo effect, and for a moment he thought of Caroline. It wasn't judgment that he thought of though, his thoughts turning instead to her joining him on hunts like this, reveling in the side of her that she seemed to embrace one moment and try to bury the next. Klaus couldn't help but wonder if she'd enjoy the taste of fear as well or would she prefer those who were compliant and did as they were told.

He really couldn't wait to find out. Though he knew it would take time, but he also was realizing he was willing to wait as long as it took for Caroline Forbes to become what she was, to finally embrace her newfound life. She'd be a brilliant vampire—she already was in certain aspects—but Klaus had every intention of helping her become something extraordinary.

Perhaps she would never join him on hunts like this, perhaps that wasn't in the cards, but the rest of it he was certain would happen. She would choose him, just as he constantly chose her, and the world would never be the same.

* * *

Caroline heard the front door open and knew it was Klaus finally returning. She didn't hear Kol with him and wondered if that meant the younger Mikaelson was out taking out his annoyances on Amsterdam or if he hadn't woken up yet. She looked back down at her mother who was still asleep and sighed, knowing that she should probably go down and see what he'd done. To thank him for disposing of the…people she had killed.

It still didn't come, no matter how she willed it to start, that guilt wouldn't sink into her bones or make her regret her actions. She wondered what it meant that she wouldn't feel remorse for having taken those lives. She hadn't exactly enjoyed it—it wasn't like when she'd killed at the carnival. This hadn't been about feeding, no bloodlust coming into play. She'd simply snapped necks, killing them one by one in quick succession before heading back to her mother.

She remembered her conversation with Stefan, how adamant she'd been about protecting her mother, how she wouldn't change what had happened, how she would do it again if it would save her mother's life. Or her friends. She couldn't seem to see the flaw in that plan, couldn't seem to sway her mind to another more moral stance and that knowledge caused her stomach to tighten into knots, had her biting her bottom lip, frightened of what she was becoming.

Caroline kissed her mother's forehead and quietly got out of the bed, needing to be away from her for a moment. She knew she was a vampire, she knew she wasn't human any longer, but in that moment she felt more like a monster than she ever had. More so than when she'd torn through that poor man's throat or helped fight off the deputies or a hundred other little things that she'd taken part in. As much as she'd liked killing the young man she had regretted it, ached over having done it and vowed to get better control over herself.

But this time she couldn't seem to work it out in her head that she needed to do better. At least not the way she had a feeling she was supposed to and she didn't want to be near her mother when she was thinking as she was. Didn't want her mom to open her eyes and see the truth, to look at her and see her as she had that first time, as nothing but a monster.

Caroline couldn't take having her mother look at her like that again, remembering the pure devastation she had felt as her mother saw her, remembered that hopelessness that had tried to devour her when she heard her mother asking Damon to keep her away from her. Caroline couldn't chance having that happen again so she left the room and paused, wondering which direction she should venture. She could hear Stefan down the hall in his own room now, Rebekah in hers, and down in the study was Klaus.

Her feet seemed to do the thinking for her, quietly padding down the stairs and toward the study before the door to her mother's room even shut. She hesitated at the doorway for a moment, unsure about entering, nearly fleeing back up the stairs and to the normalcy of Stefan. He was a monster as well—a horrible one and she remembered how cold he had been as a Ripper—but she didn't want the familiarity of him, drawn to the other, the darker that wouldn't silently worry over her actions or feelings.

She watched Klaus place Kol's still not revived body onto the couch and couldn't help but wrinkled her nose as he turned her way, noticing the blood staining his clothes. He wouldn't have gotten that from the dead witches which meant he'd gone feeding, and while she while she wasn't there to judge that right then and there, from the amount of blood she didn't think whoever he'd snacked on would live to tell the tale.

This was a bad idea.

"I paid a visit to our dear friend Lucy," Klaus informed her before she had time to turn around and head back up the stairs. He motioned for her to enter into the room as he sat down on one of the chairs, watching her, and she was unable to read his emotions.

Caroline entered, closing the door behind her and headed to sit down on the other chair. "Oh? Is she alive?" She rolled her eyes at his arched brow and mock hurt over her question. Could he really blame her for asking with how he looked?

"Perfectly fine and disposing of the bodies I dropped on her doorstep.  _Your_  bodies." Klaus smiled at her, but there wasn't anything pleasant about it, reminding her instantly of a snake ready to strike.

"Thank you for dealing with them." She could tell it's not what he expected to hear and his face softened for a moment as he regarded her and she could not stand that look, that tiny bit of worry directed her way by him, and she turned away, curling into the chair so she wouldn't have to look directly at him. "You thought she sent them after us, didn't you?"

"The thought had crossed my mind, yes," Klaus confirmed and Caroline could hear him moving around but she kept her gaze on her hands, suddenly finding them very interesting. "I let her know what happened, how it affected your mother to see if she could come up with some solutions to insure her safety."

That caught Caroline's attention and she looked up, glancing over at Klaus and found him standing by the window, his back to her, hands clasped behind him as he stared out it. "Oh? Did she have any?"

"She'll be needing to take a look at your ring to replicate its magic for the rest of us," Klaus continued, still not looking at her, but she could see his reflection in the window and had a feeling he was looking at her own in it as well. "But it will do no good for your mother. That spell only protects supernatural beings such as ourselves. She may be able to create another Gilbert ring if Stefan and Rebekah pick up the Bennett grimoire while in Mystic Falls. Or I suppose retrieve it from Jeremy's body." Either would work.

"But what about until then?" Because that would take days, maybe an entire week for them to go through all of the necessary steps in order to make one or find one. "She'll be vulnerable until then."

"My blood healed her body, Caroline, but another attack like tonight and I am unsure how her mind will handle that. Blood might heal her body again, but it may not matter if they manage to destroy what makes your mother who she is," Klaus started and Caroline shook her head, not hearing the rest of what he was saying.

That wasn't allowed to happen. They weren't allowed to get into her mother's head again and hurt her like that, to destroy her mind, all of her thoughts, her memories. She'd seen the pain her mother had been in, the agony her body had gone through as the witches had performed their spell and she never wanted that for her mother ever again. There had to be another way to protect her because Klaus was right—and she hated that he was right—if the witches tried again, and there would be more of them, she wasn't naive enough to think they would stop coming, her mother might not completely survive it.

Caroline pressed her hands to her temples, feeling her fangs descend, the blood pumping in her veins as her emotions got away from her. She tried to breathe in and out, tried to do what Stefan had taught her over a year ago in the girl's bathroom, but it was no use, she couldn't force her face to go back to normal, couldn't make the fangs go away.

_You're a monster_.

It repeated over and over in her head and she didn't realize Klaus had moved until his hands were on top of hers, pulling them away from her curls that she had begun to pull on. He was saying her name, she could vaguely make that out through the sound of blood that her hearing seemed to be focused on. She could hear her mother's blood pumping though her veins a floor up, the neighbors on either side as well, and even a group of people walking outside, no doubt heading for home, and she clenched her eyes shut, willing it to go away, her gums aching for a taste.

His fingers brushed over the veins on her face and she froze, not used to anyone touching them in that way. The gentleness behind it startled her and she shifted her focus from the blood she could hear to Klaus who was looking at her with a mixture of lust and adoration, fingers still brushing over her veins and down to her neck. The beast inside wanted her to shift closer, drawn by the one she could sense within him, always below the surface, just waiting to burst free. She'd felt that way around Tyler before, especially once he'd become a hybrid, but this pull toward Klaus was infinitely more intense and Caroline couldn't help but reach out and grasp hold of his arm, needing to feel him.

He smiled, eyes changing to yellow, and her own darkened further as she felt his breath mingling with her own, his nose brushing against hers.

"Lovely," he murmured, and she shivered, her inner beast yearning for freedom, hearing the blood pumping in his veins as well and she couldn't help but moan at the memory of how delicious he tasted.

Caroline clasped her hands over her mouth, slinking back into the chair, pulling away from his touch and stared up at him, unable to stop from shaking. He stared down at her and she didn't want to make out his expression, didn't want to look at him so she glanced away, jumping as he caressed her cheek, her body entirely too sensitive for its own good.

"You shouldn't run from what you are, Caroline," Klaus started, stepping back from her, the moment over.

"I know what I am," she murmured as she tried to get her emotions under control, steadily breathing in and out again.

"Oh? Do tell." He was in front of her again, grasping her chin so she was forced to look at him. She couldn't quite get the words out with him staring at her as he was, and she wrenched her chin away from him, glaring at him instead and felt her features slowly fade back to normal. "Perhaps next time I should let you clean up your own messes."

He turned away from her then and she found herself reaching out, touching his arm to stop him. It seemed to startle them both and she fell back against the back of the chair as he turned back to look at her. "Thank you for helping me with that. And for saving my mom."

Because Caroline knew she wouldn't have been able to do it, not in the state she had been in. Klaus stared down at her, reminding her of that time in the hallway of the high school after she'd thanked him. That uncertainty at her words, that brief spark of astonishment at her having said them. "If she comes with us, Caroline, the chances of her being attacked again grows exponentially," Klaus told her, and she couldn't look at him anymore.

She hated how right he was, hated that he spoke the truth, but what was the alternative? "Even if she does manage to avoid an attack before we get the Gilbert ring…I believe you know better than most what can happen to one who wears it," he continued, and Caroline found herself looking down at her hands, remembering pencils jabbed through the middle of them, could almost feel the vervain that she had breathed in as Alaric tortured her.

"What do you expect me to do?" Caroline demanded, finally looking back up at him, and she didn't like the almost sympathetic look he was giving her.

"It would be best if she didn't continue on this journey with any of us. Better if she was out of the witches field of vision completely," Klaus replied, and she shook her head.

"She won't just let us all leave her. She'd keep looking, even if we left her and…" Caroline shook her head again as he gave her a pointed look. "I am  _not_  doing that to her." There was a way to insure Liz didn't follow, that she didn't come looking for them and endanger herself.

"I suppose the question is, Caroline, how much do you love her?" Klaus asked, and she glared at him. "Enough to do something unforgiveable to protect her, to insure she'll live to see another day, even if she might not quite be happy with you when all is said and done and you can remove it?" He glanced at Kol. "I often did it with a dagger. Put them in their timeout after they did something that could endanger us." Or simply angered or annoyed him at times as well. "But you don't have that luxury with her."

Caroline rose from the chair, trying to block out all that he was saying. "Well, I'm not you. I'm nothing like you," she muttered, heading toward the door.

"Come now, Caroline. We both know that's not true," he called out after her as she headed out of the room, thankful when he didn't try to follow her.

She headed up the stairs and hesitated at the bedroom door, hearing her mother breathing on the other side. Caroline pressed her forehead against the wood and shut her eyes before turning around and pressing her back against it as she slid down, trying to come up with another way to keep her mother safe while they continued on with their journey.

* * *

Recently sleep had been hard to come by for Tyler. Too often his dreams were plagued with thoughts of his mother or his murdered hybrid friends. His dreams were bathed in red and no matter how hard he tried he could never get there in time to save any of them. He always found them in pieces, body parts strewn around the forest floor, his mother's head submerged below the water.

It shifted to other thoughts, things that hadn't happened yet, but he feared would eventually. Like finding Caroline as he had his mother or the hybrids. Her beautiful curls stained with red, her eyes frozen open in fear, and he wondered if she would have called out for him with her last breath. Did his mother? Was he her last thought? Wondering how he hadn't been able to protect her from the madman that had roamed the earth for far too long.

He tried not to sleep, not needing it like the rest of his ever growing pack did. There might not have been many wolves left in the United States, but those that were had apparently been hearing about him, about his quest, and slowly they had been coming to join him. All of that power could have gone to his head, but he refused to allow that, refused to be the hard hearted figure that his father had been, or the ruthless master that Klaus had been. He needed to find his own legs for leading, had gotten a taste of it with his tiny rebellion against Klaus, but he refused to lead this group to the slaughter like he'd inevitably led the others.

There would be no trusting the words of another, not without proof. He would not allow another Hayley to lead him astray, to sacrifice all of them for personal gain. He wanted to insure their survival, to watch the wolf population grow again, to flourish like it had apparently at some point in time before vampires had roamed the world.

Mason and Jules didn't need to reach him in his sleep though and he found them frequenting his presence more often than he would have liked, that coldness seeming to spread out from inside of him to the world directly around him. Tyler thought that if he squinted he'd be able to actually see the ice spread out on the ground, enveloping everything around him, but one blink later and it was all gone, as if it had never been there in the first place.

"It's time to get serious about the cure," Mason urged, and Tyler nodded, not wanting to speak and have the others around him questioning his sanity.

The other wolves couldn't see all that he saw and maybe he'd have wondered about that at one point, but it was something he'd simply come to accept. "You know about the map. It was on your friend Jeremy before they killed him. Got there by him killing one of your friends," Mason continued and Tyler closed his eyes, remembering that night.

Chris.

He would never forget Chris.

"How did they get Klaus to offer up one of his own again?" Jules asked and Tyler pressed his lips together, fists clenching at his sides. He remembered all too well about that date Caroline had needed to promise. Remembered watching her walk around his family's property with Klaus, laughing with him, smiling, and how it had made his blood boil.

It still did.

"There are two with the mark here in the United States," Jules continued, whispering the locations in his ear.

Tyler wondered how she knew, wondered how she had a description of the two hunters, but in the end it didn't matter. It'd get him one step closer to the cure and the leverage he needed to take Klaus and his family down, to eliminate all vampires, and allow for the werewolves to take back their rightful place on Earth.

He just needed to locate Caroline as well. She needed to have the cure too before he killed Klaus. Her and maybe Elena. The rest of the population he didn't care one iota about. They could all die for their makers' sins, but those two he'd save. It hadn't been either of their faults. It never would have happened if Klaus hadn't strolled into town and ruined all of their lives. If the Salvatore brothers hadn't come back to town and brought all of the supernatural drama with them.

They would all be in high school still, finishing up senior year, no wiser to what went bump in the night around them. Maybe he never would have hooked up with Caroline, maybe Elena and Matt would have gotten back together, but Tyler was certain that no matter what they would all have been happy, and his family would be whole, his parents not dead.

"I need two groups," Tyler called out, grinning when more than enough wolves stepped forward to volunteer, knowing they would easily be able to find the hunters. No doubt they'd even enjoy helping the hunters complete the mark by finding vampires for them to kill. The hatred for vampires ran deep in those he had found, the fear of becoming a hybrid also always there on the surface. A fear he meant to dispel and make certain would never be allowed to happen again.

This was his pack and Tyler would do whatever was needed to protect them and insure that they would grow and flourish like no pack had done in centuries.

* * *

Liz Forbes often thought of herself as a practical woman, even if she had been brought up with the knowledge that vampires were real. Even if she'd watched her town go through more craziness than she'd thought could possibly exist in the last two years. It didn't alter who she was deep down at the very core, a woman who took her responsibilities seriously and who loved her daughter more than anything in the world. She'd faltered in her responsibility toward Caroline far too many times already, not being emotionally there like she probably should have been after Bill had left, letting her preteen daughter push her away when she should have tried to bridge the differences that were causing an ever growing chasm between the two of them. Every time she had tried to create some kind of bridge though it had been chopped down, pushed aside with smart little remarks, and there had come a time when she hadn't tried as hard.

And then Caroline had died.

She hadn't known about it right away and hadn't reacted to it well at first. Old prejudices were hard to fight and she couldn't help but think her baby girl had been stolen from her before she could repair anything, that the thing inside of her daughter was nothing but a monster. But she'd been proven wrong and the bridge had formed, the gap between them had shrunk until it was barely noticeable, and now she felt like she was standing at the edge of it again, waiting for it to expand.

She had heard the conversation that passed between Caroline and Klaus in the middle of the night. Had been on her way to the kitchen to get some water but changed her mind as their conversation was nearing an end and headed back upstairs, mind reeling from all she had overheard. She'd nearly gotten out of the bed to go comfort her daughter when she heard her slide down against the door, but she stopped herself, not wanting Caroline to know that she knew. Her daughter shouldn't have to make the kind of decision required to protect her. That was something  _she_  should be doing for Caroline. After all, she was her mother, wasn't she? Wasn't that what she'd promised that tiny baby after holding her in her arms that first time?

Liz didn't like Klaus but she needed answers, needed to know what all of the options were so she could be better informed before making her decision. One thing she did know was that Caroline wouldn't be able to handle her death just yet. She'd heard her daughter's sobbing as her heartbeat had faded and didn't want to put that kind of pressure on her so soon.

Caroline was still adjusting to being a vampire. She still had her whole life ahead of her and then who knew how many lifetimes after that. Liz meant to be around for at least thirty more years of that first one.

"Sheriff Forbes, to what do I owe the pleasure?" Klaus asked as she entered the study that she noted was in more disarray than it had been the day before when she'd first confronted him.

"You think the witches will return," Liz started, and Klaus looked up, shutting the book he had in his lap to arch a brow at her, curious as to what she was trying to get at.

"No, I know they will. Their particular band of witches won't stop until they think they've accomplished their agenda which is currently to put all of us out of commission," Klaus replied, and Liz nodded, unsurprised by that being the case. "And they will end up killing you or harming you beyond repair, leaving behind only a shell to grow old and die."

"And if I were to take Caroline and leave?" she asked, not caring for the narrowing of his eyes at her words.

"They'll still come. The witches already have a lock on her. It's why she wears the ring. I doubt they've gotten one on you yet and if you're no longer near any of us I doubt they'd bother to follow as you wouldn't be doing anything to put their plans in jeopardy." Klaus shrugged. "No point in wasting the energy when the rest of us will have broken into smaller groups for them to follow."

"But you can't guarantee that they don't have a lock on me," Liz pointed out, going over the options in her head, trying to figure out the best course of action.

"No. But simple compulsion would be easy enough to temporarily take away any links you have to Caroline and therefore have to the rest of our merry little band," Klaus replied, and she wondered what precisely that meant. "You would not remember her, her father, or any of Mystic Falls and they would have a nearly impossible time finding you again. I've a number of places to allow you to roam freely until we've dealt with this particular scenario and Caroline can return to you."

"Because you'd allow her to do that," Liz muttered, not really believing that he'd allow such a thing. She could see him keeping the two of them apart indefinitely.

"Contrary to what seems to be popular belief, I am not out to hurt your daughter, Sheriff," Klaus started, setting the book to the side. "And keeping you from her would do just that. But having her watch you die an agonizing death would also accomplish the task. Having her carry around the knowledge that she could have prevented it if you had been elsewhere and not in harm's way would cause a darkness in her that I do not think you want to form." He tapped his fingers for a moment on the arms of the chair as he tilted his head, regarding her and Liz didn't like the way it seemed he could see into her thoughts, even if she knew it wasn't actually possible for a vampire or hybrid to do so.

"And say you do come with us and we're attacked again. She will kill again for you, to protect you. There are already five on her hands because she wouldn't allow them to harm you further. How many more would you like to be added to the list, Liz?" Klaus rose from the chair as the doorbell rang. "I do believe that is Lucy to work out our ring problem. I'll leave you to your thoughts, Sheriff. I'm sure you have much to think about."

Liz sighed as the study door closed, signaling his departure, and she stared up at the ceiling, unsure which was the best outcome, which would help out Caroline the most in the end. Because what mattered was protecting her daughter even if to do so meant leaving her behind.

* * *

Rebekah was packed and ready to go, another ring added to her hand for protection. At least the witch had been able to provide them that as well as a reason for her and Stefan to return to Mystic Falls. Or at least a reason that Klaus would allow them to leave over. They had their own agenda, though it seemed they would intersect a bit considering her brother now also wanted them to retrieve the Bennett grimoire. Which she and Stefan would do, and she'd even hand it over to Klaus once the two of them were finished with it.

She clicked the suitcase shut, trying not to look as happy as she inwardly felt, not wanting to shine any limelight on herself or Stefan and have Klaus looking closely at all they were doing. She turned around, not expecting to see Klaus casually leaning against the doorframe. His arms were crossed and he regarded her with a small smile, his gaze seemingly full of mirth.

Rebekah  _knew_ that look. It was the one she'd been on the receiving end of far too many times in her life. It meant he knew what she was planning. Just as he had the few times she'd wanted to run away with whoever her current lover was or turn someone he hadn't deemed worthy of the vampire lifestyle. Usually it ended with a dagger in her heart and the other one dead.

He had no daggers on him though. She knew that much. Otherwise Kol would've been disposed of ten times over already. But she could not discount that look. It was seemingly charming, playful even, when beneath it lurked anger and hints of betrayal. This was Klaus at his most volatile and she never quite knew how he'd react. It could swing one of two ways and she needed to use her words wisely to push the ball toward the jeering words instead of strangled throats.

"Do you remember the meadow? When we were children? The one with the wildflowers?" Rebekah asked, and watched him tense up, no doubt not wanting to remember that time when they had been so vulnerable, when they had held no power.

"Do you honestly think I don't know what you're trying to do, Rebekah?" he asked, stepping forward, hands clasping behind his back as he passed by her, one hand reaching out to brush along the vanity, flicking away a few pieces of dust. She knew better than to answer when he was like this, watching him instead and waiting for the outburst.

"We used to go there with Henrik and watch the clouds drift by," she continued. "You telling him stories, me pointing out the different shapes the clouds created before Kol would come running up to us and ruin the whole thing in one way or the other. Talking about our plans for the future until Elijah came and found us all, doling out some speech about responsibility."

"Why are you bringing up such things, Rebekah?" Klaus demanded, though he did not look back at her, his hand pressed hard against her vanity instead and she wondered if the wood would split. He never did like any of them to mention Henrik.

"I still have those dreams. I still want that life and now I have a chance for it, Nik. Not quite like back then, but still. A chance to grow old and have a family," Rebekah continued and she watched his hand clench into a fist.

"A chance to die," Klaus reminded, looking back at her and she couldn't read his expression, something she wasn't used to. She usually knew his tells.

"A chance to live," Rebekah countered. A life where she wasn't beholden to her brothers that so easily cast her aside.

"Is the possibility of your happiness worth the chance of Esther and Mikael coming back to Earth, forever hunting us down?" Klaus asked, motioning with his arms as he took one step forward.

Rebekah huffed at that, picking up the suitcase at the audacity of his question. "Oh come now, Nik. We both know I'd be daggered and in a coffin before the first day was over if that did come to pass."

He arched his brow at that and the smile sent chills down her spine, but she jutted her chin out, pouting at him in the same way she had done since she was a child. "I'd say before noon," he replied, and she rolled her eyes at that.

"Would you even bother to cart me around with you when you're obviously trying to create a new companion for yourself?" Rebekah nearly flinched at the sound of venom dripping from her voice, not meaning to sound as petty and jealous as she had in that moment. But she couldn't help it.

"No need to be catty, Rebekah," Klaus replied, and she despised the amusement in his voice. How easily he could discard her for another and never allow her to find her own to replace him.

"I fail to see what has you so captivated by her," she muttered, pulling up the handle of the suitcase. Perhaps the other girl was pretty, but pretty girls were a dime a dozen and Rebekah had seen Klaus go through enough of them through the years that she didn't understand his fascination with this one in particular.

"I could say the same for a thousand different men who you let pursue you," Klaus pointed out, and she nearly broke the handle in two.

"Yes, and you killed each of them," she reminded, not wanting to continue the conversation, but he was moving toward the window and looking down at the yard below.

"Not all of them," Klaus replied, and Rebekah could hear Stefan talking to Liz in the small backyard and she narrowed her eyes, glaring at her brother's back.

"Be happy I'm not one to return the favor, considering how often you did dispose of my potential lovers," she quipped, and swallowed hard as he turned back to look at her, the fury in his eyes causing her to tense, before he seemed to realize she had been joking.

Sort of.

"Do take care of yourself, little sister," Klaus murmured, stepping over to her and leaning forward to press a kiss to her forehead. She was almost touched by the gentleness of it, reminded of easier times before they had been turned into what they had become. But just like that, he ruined the moment as he stepped back, nonchalantly issuing a threat. "I'd hate to dagger you again if you fail to acquire what we need."

She watched him leave, glaring at his backside before he disappeared down the hall. Her resolve for getting the cure for herself only strengthened with each step he took away from her, once again leaving her behind.

"He's not the only one who will do it," Kol piped up from the doorway and she sighed, annoyed at herself for not having noticed him before. "We can't allow Silas to rise, Rebekah. Then your petty little dream will be for nothing."

"It is not petty," she protested, wanting to throw something at him but knowing doing so would only prove him right. "Is it so bad to want a life away from all of this?"

Kol arched a brow, looking around the room. "I don't think anyone has ever said you can't have a life away from this, Beks," he pointed out. "I left and went about everything on my own. Had quite a good time up in Canada. You barely made it three houses down from Nik when you tried to leave."

"I was on the other side of the town." Even to her that was a weak rebuttal.

Kol tsked at her. "Have a life, sister. But don't feel the need to die in order to get one. I would miss you." She frowned at that, not liking the seriousness of Kol's tone, not wanting to look too closely at his words. "After all, who would I get to call out on all of their strumpet ways if you're not around."

He grinned and she threw the nearest object she had at him, watching the vase shatter against the doorframe that he had been near seconds earlier. Rebekah could hear him laughing as he headed down the stairs and she stared at the mess, pushing back the tiny sliver of doubt about becoming human that was trying to instill its way into her heart.

* * *

"You know for all the good qualities that people keep telling me about traveling the world, everyone seriously left out how much airports  _suck,_ " Caroline groaned as they stood in front of the baggage carousel, waiting for the bags to begin to unload. The place was cramped and while no one was standing on top of her, there was something about being inside of the Vienna airport that she simply didn't like.

Maybe it was the tiredness of everyone in the airport or the  _go go go_  attitude some had as they hurried by, accidentally shoving elbows, feet or bags into various parts of her. "As you'll remember, sweetheart, it's quite different when you travel by private jet," Klaus reminded, and she didn't like how his arm brushed against her as he reached over to snag the first of their bags.

"So why couldn't we have done that this time?" she asked, mentally smacking herself as soon as the words had left her mouth. She offered up an apologetic look to her mother, knowing that had sounded rather spoiled, and god, Elizabeth Forbes had so not allowed her to grow up like that.

"Another time," Klaus replied, and she didn't like the promise in that statement. That steadfast belief of his that there would be another time.

But he had gotten all three of their bags from the belt and so she was going to focus on that instead of whatever little dreams were swirling around in his head. Lucy had gotten them rings and Stefan had promised to get the Gilbert ring and the grimoire and send her the ring as soon as he found it…on Jeremy's cold, dead, no doubt rotting hand. They had all said their goodbyes and Caroline had pointedly ignored all of Klaus' looks about her mother, trying desperately to hold steadfastly to the belief that they could protect her mother from whatever did come at them.

"And I thought you said Vincent was in Romania. So why are we in Vienna?" Because that really didn't make any sense to her.

"The easiest way to get to the particular village we're going is by train, which we can pick up in this city but could not in Amsterdam," Klaus informed her, though he didn't start moving toward the exit like Caroline thought he would. "As well as other reasons."

She looked at him, confused, and saw that his gaze was locked on her mother. Caroline turned her attention toward Liz, frowning at the sadness she saw in her mother's eyes, that downturn of her lips that let Caroline know her mother's mind was made up about whatever was going on inside of it. "Mom?"

Liz stepped forward, placing her hands on Caroline's shoulders and offered up a small smile. "I am so proud of you. I don' think I've told you that enough in the last few years. Especially this year," Liz started and Caroline didn't like where this was going.

"I know you are," she murmured, even if it was nice to hear her mother say it. There had to be a reason why she was saying it though and Caroline didn't think she'd like it.

"You know I can't go with you," Liz continued, and Caroline sucked in a breath at that, not wanting to hear anymore, wanting it all to just stop and for them to get to the train station. Everything would be fine if they could just get to the station. But her mother didn't let go of her and she wasn't about to push her away. "I have my passport and Klaus has provided me with a place I'll be able to stay while you go off and save the world."

"The one outside Tuscany. We can find her after everything is finished, love," Klaus added, and Caroline glared at him, not at all surprised that he had a part in this.

"She's not going there," Caroline snapped, fangs descending a tiny bit and she forced herself to calm down, to force them back into place as she looked back at her mother. "You don't have to do this. Stefan's going to get the ring and send it to us and you'll be just fine, mom. I won't let anything happen to you."

"How many will you kill so that nothing happens to me?" Liz asked and Caroline stepped back as if she'd been slapped, shaking her head. "Because I won't have you do that again. Not for me, Caroline. That isn't you. You're not a monster."

Oh but it was and Caroline knew it was, knew to her very core that she was a murderer. She'd done it before and she would do it again without hesitation if it meant protecting her mother, her friends. "So what? We're just compelling you to go and live a life in Tuscany or wherever until we fix everything?"

Maybe that wouldn't be too bad but why were they both looking at her in that funny way, with sympathy she didn't want being doled out to her, knowing it couldn't be that easy. "We need to erase her previous life from her mind so that the witches will have an impossible time in locating her," Klaus replied when Liz seemed unable to find the words.

Caroline shook her head, hands pressed to her mouth at the idea of it all, of her mother not knowing her, not loving her. How could they even think to ask her to do such a thing? "It will insure her safety," Klaus continued and she didn't even know when he'd moved to stand beside her, hand rubbing gently on her back, trying to soothe her.

She didn't want that touch, didn't want any of this. She wanted to take her mother and go back to Mystic Falls. She wanted all of the witches and the doppelgangers and Silas and vampires and just all of it to disappear. She wanted normal back. Except she remembered how her relationship had been with Liz when they'd been normal and Caroline didn't want that strain to be there again.

"I can do it, if you would like," Klaus offered and Caroline shook her head, stepping forward to her mother and hugging her tightly.

"No matter what, know that I love you," Liz murmured, stroking her hair and Caroline closed her eyes, trying to memorize every little thing about her mother, before she pulled slightly away.

"I love you too," Caroline told her before letting her eyes dilate, compulsion starting to take hold. "You're…" She blinked tears out of her eyes, knowing she needed them gone to make sure the compulsion would work. She looked over at Klaus, needing a few details. "Where is she going?"

"I have it all written down for her as well as her plane tickets and other necessities she might need," Klaus replied, holding up an envelope.

Caroline nodded and turned back to her mother, letting the compulsion take hold again. She willed away her memories of Mystic Falls, putting in ones of a woman who loved Italy instead, who enjoyed the life there and had decided to settle down after so many years of being on the police force. She willed for her mother to follow the directions in the pack Klaus handed her and to live her life and to have fun.

She pulled back, listening as Liz murmured it all back before blinking at them. Caroline's heart clenched at the sight of her mother looking at her as a stranger. It was worse than when she'd been looked at as a monster, at least then she had known her mother had loved her at some point, saw the flashes of loss and regret in her mother's gaze. Now there was nothing.

"I believe you dropped this," Klaus started, nudging Caroline to hand over the envelope.

"Thank you. My entire life is in there," Liz replied, smiling at the two of them before turning and walking away.

Caroline watched her go, refusing to budge from her spot until Liz was no longer able to be seen, having passed behind a wall. "Caroline," Klaus started, and there was that soothing touch on her back again.

She nearly leaned into it, wanting the comfort, needing to be held at that moment, but she couldn't quite bring herself to allow him that level of intimacy. "Let's just go," she bit out, grabbing the handle of her suitcase and looking up at him. She could see the hardness starting to settle in his features, and she knew that look, having seen it on her own who even knew how many times after being rejected by someone she loved.

"I need to be anywhere but here right now.  _Please_ ," she continued, letting some of her vulnerability seep through in that moment and Klaus nodded, the hardness fading though he didn't reach to offer comfort again.

Simply nodded toward the far exit and started walking that way, neither of them talking as they headed off toward the next part of their journey. Caroline glancing once or twice behind at the spot Liz had been before they were too far gone for her to make it out any longer.

They stopped at the area for taxis, Caroline barely paying attention as Klaus acquired them one and the driver took her things, placing them in the trunk as the two of them settled into the back. She vaguely made out that Klaus was telling him to bring them to the train station, didn't bother to look out the window as they passed by the city that should have entranced her with its architecture.

"She was wrong," she murmured after a few moments, voice barely audible.

"Wrong about what?" Klaus asked, and Caroline could feel his gaze on her, watching her, trying to figure out what was going on in her head.

"I am a monster," she replied, resting her head against the car window.

Klaus didn't reply, and Caroline wasn't sure how she felt about that, but when he took her hand in his and gave it a gentle squeeze she didn't pull away. Instead she closed her eyes and let him continue to hold it as she sighed and thought about the exact hue of her mother's eyes, willing herself to never forget that.

 


	15. Chapter 15

_How terrible this darkness was, how bewildering, and yet mysteriously beautiful! ― Stefan Zweig_

* * *

Klaus was at a loss for how to handle Caroline's emotional state. He understood anger, he understood lashing out with fists and with tongue, trying to force others to feel the pain that wouldn't go away. But this internal grief that she was experiencing, this melancholy that seemed to have surrounded her was something he didn't know how to cure. She continued on, he couldn't deny that. She didn't falter or stumble, had taken hold of her own suitcases and moved about without any assistance.

But there was hardly any life in her eyes, in her stance as she'd sat on the first train, cheek pressed to the window as the world passed by, reminding him of a flower that had wilted. Klaus could tell that she hadn't been paying any attention to what was happening outside though, didn't even comment on the horses that they passed, and it worried him.

He would not see her break because of their current circumstances, wondered if this was a foreboding of what would happen when Liz Forbes finally did die and meant to insure that Caroline powered through the feelings that appeared to be overwhelming her.

Klaus did not know how to comfort. It had been too many years and far too little opportunities to truly have a chance to do so and mean it. He could fake it, use it to coerce someone to his side, to do his bidding. But to actually mean it, to provide what another person might need was a foreign concept that he was struggling with.

He'd held her hand in the cab and that had seemed to help, though he'd been mostly startled the entire time, waiting for Caroline to wrench her hand away, to realize who she was allowing to touch her. She hadn't though and they had arrived at their destination before he'd been able to react appropriately to the allowance. He hadn't tried it again on the train, simply sat by her and glanced at her hands that were tucked under her chin as she looked out the window.

They were on the night train now though, the one that would take them into Romania and to the village where Vincent currently resided. They had their own compartment on this one with two couches that converted into beds and their own private bath. But there she was again, simply sitting on the couch, not really looking at anything in particular.

"You need to eat," Klaus told her as he sat down in the one chair, watching her carefully.

"I'm not really hungry," Caroline replied, and that was something at least. "And the dining cart is supposed to be open all evening so I can go later if I get hungry."

"I wasn't referring to human food, Caroline," Klaus told her, and she glanced at him and then at their luggage.

"We don't have blood bags," she murmured, and he could almost spot the exact moment she remembered that she'd drank the last of those back in Amsterdam. "I'm not feeding from people."

And there was that fire he'd been missing, that spark that was so indefinably Caroline that it hurt when it was gone. "I am not having you anywhere near a nearly seven hundred year old vampire when you've not fed in a day. Weakness will be exploited and I will not have you be weak," Klaus informed her.

He would not allow Vincent or anyone to try and harm her, but could not also allow her to be more vulnerable than she already was because of her age. "Yeah, well, I'm not feeding on humans. I don't do that and just because I…" Caroline swallowed, and he noted that her hands were shaking. "Just because I've done some other things doesn't mean I'm going to start doing that. We'll just have to find some blood bags when we get to the town or whatever."

"I highly doubt there will be any so easily accessible where we're headed." Klaus enjoyed her glare, the way she clenched her fists, no doubt having seen him notice she'd been jittery. "And before you say that you'll find an animal to snack on I am sure you know that animal blood is hardly a decent substitute for the real thing and will not give you adequate strength. It's to be used when there is nothing else available in order to keep you alive."

Caroline crossed her arms, shrugging slightly. "I'm not doing it and you can't make me do it." She pressed her lips together at that before looking back at him. "Well you could if you wanted to ruin any progress you've ever made with me."

Compulsion.

No. He wouldn't do that to her.

"Then you'll be drinking mine," Klaus replied, rising from the chair and stepping toward her.

"Uh. No." She wasn't looking at him then, gaze fixed on the window instead.

"What alternative is there, Caroline? You won't feed from anyone on this train. We have no access to blood bags and animal blood will not give you the nourishment you need for what we will be doing. So tell me a better plan," he offered, already rolling up his sleeve.

"He's supposed to be one of yours, isn't he? So like…shouldn't he listen to you?" Caroline muttered, still refusing to look at him even as he sat down on the couch beside her. "Though I guess the hybrids were yours and they didn't like listening to you either."

Klaus tensed at that, almost rising at her words, but he saw her cringe after she said them, not out of fear, he couldn't smell any, but it seemed it was more likely to do with her penchant of speaking before she thought things through. "I don't like drinking your blood," Caroline continued, and he heard the way her heart sped up a little at that.

"And here I thought you were acquiring a taste for it," Klaus murmured, watching her closely. "It's mine or those in the compartment across the hallway from us. Choose or I'll have no problem choosing for you."

Her fangs dropped down at that, eyes narrowing as the blood pumped in her veins, rushing to the ones in her face, eyes becoming such lovely pools of darkness. Klaus wanted to reach out and touch them again, to let his fingers caress her flesh, but he had a feeling that she'd jerk away if he did so and he needed her to drink. "Wrist or my neck if you prefer," he told her as he tilted his head to expose his throat. "I'm sure I don't need to tell you that it pumps much easier from here." He tapped his neck, watched her gaze move to it, and noted her tongue darting out to lick her lips.

She seemed to notice what she was doing though and latched onto his offered arm, lifting it to her mouth before biting down onto it. Klaus closed his eyes at the sensation, shifting against the couch so that he was able to lean back against the wall, drawing her back with him. He let his fingers brush through her hair before gliding them down her neck and to her spine, drifting down her back and smiled as she shivered.

Klaus moved his hand around to her stomach, touching the inch of skin that was exposed between the end of her shirt and beginning of her pants, as she leaned back against him, holding onto his arm with a vice grip. He'd need to get her to stop soon but he couldn't help but enjoy her leaning against him, mouth attached to his skin, and the smell of blood and arousal in the air. Klaus swept her hair off her neck, brushing his nose down the length of it.

That only seemed to make her tighten her grip on him, sucking harder, faster, and he knew she was riding high on the blood lust, probably unaware of what she was even doing. The urge to bury his own fangs in her neck was overwhelming as well as the urge to bury other parts of himself into her, but he had to repress them, knowing she wasn't ready for either scenario. But he couldn't help but relish in having her there with him, body pressed against his, enjoying the delicious little moans that she made as she drank from him. He scraped his human teeth along her neck, eliciting a whimper from her as she continued to feed, before pressing his lips to her jaw.

"Time to stop," Klaus murmured against her ear, gripping her hair tightly in his hand and giving it a small yank so she'd unleash herself from him.

Caroline did, eyes shut as she tried to breathe, and Klaus shifted, moving so he was no longer back against the wall and letting her lean against it on her own. "I'll be back in a bit," he told her, licking his lips at the sight of his blood on her lips, thoroughly pleased with how completely satisfied she looked.

No doubt she'd do her own internal freak out once she came down from her current high but Klaus didn't mean to be in the room when she did. He needed to feed now to build up his strength again and to give some distance between the two of them. He was out of the compartment before she could answer and headed off to find a few people to feast on. He had no intention of killing anyone on the train, not wanting bodies to be stumbled upon and a delay to happen with their journey. But he couldn't quite help the extra bounce in his step or his smirk as he searched out some easy prey, quite pleased with how the train trip had gone so far.

* * *

Kol would have preferred having his brother and Caroline as his traveling companions. The two of them provided plentiful moments of entertainment and having the baby vampire around made riling Klaus up even easier than usual. Though if he couldn't be with the two of them, he supposed being with the witch wasn't too bad of a consolation prize.

Out of everyone in his family he was the one who got along best with the witches, who actually took the time to understand them, to learn from them, and actually appreciated what they could do. Elijah used them when necessary and treated them fairly enough but he never truly grasped why they did what they did. Rebekah treated them as accessories, never really wanting much to do with them, and Nik, well; he usually threatened or seduced depending on how long he needed them to be at his disposal.

Kol had wandered the world with different Covens over the centuries, keeping up with certain lines more than others. He'd traveled down to Africa, learning various secrets there, followed them after a time to Haiti and watched the magic evolve before eventually seeing them in New Orleans as well.

The balance of nature was usually the key to everything they did, but he'd seen various witches and warlocks become lost in the power over the years. Watched in fascination as they lost themselves, as their strength became too much for them, and they were either taken down by others or burnt themselves out from inside.

And he couldn't deny that he quite enjoyed Lucy's spunk. She didn't like him and she wasn't afraid to show that, though she also seemed to realize that he could be somewhat of an asset. After all he'd lived the last Silas followers uprising. He'd been the one to destroy it. He had traveled with the group of witches who had been trying hard to eradicate any chance of him rising before. Some of them had been her ancestors. He was a wealth of knowledge and he knew she'd want to tap into it at some point.

They were on their way to meet up with another witch—some distant relative of the Bennett line—that had some information about Bonnie's whereabouts. Why the witch couldn't have simply informed them of it all on the phone when they'd gotten off the plane in New York was beyond Kol, but it'd been a simple enough drive.

He smelled death though as soon as they got out of the car and leaned against the rented vehicle, shaking his head as he glanced over at Lucy. "What?" she asked voice sharp and full of that annoyance he enjoyed creating in others.

"I think your friend won't be of much use," Kol told her, tapping his nose. "Call it a hunch."

Lucy sprinted to the door then and Kol strolled behind her, watching as she opened the unlocked front door, his suspicions confirmed as he easily strolled in behind her, no invitation needed. Lucy gasped in horror at the sight of three dead in the kitchen, all children, obvious puncture marks on their skin.

"Looks like the doppelganger got here first," Kol murmured, walking around the scene. This was why the witch should have told them everything over the phone. Never knew when one's life would meet such an abrupt end. Though he was curious as to where the parents were. They had to be dead as well or he'd never have been able to walk in unimpeded.

Lucy backed away from the scene, looking slightly sick as she forced herself to breathe in and out, before heading toward the back of the house. Kol followed after her, wondering what she was doing. They entered a room, one filled with various occult objects and various books. Some books were scattered on the floor as if someone had been looking through the shelf for one in particular, discarding what they didn't need.

"Damn it, the grimoire is gone," Lucy slammed her hand against the shelf, looking more distraught then Kol thought was necessary.

"I'm sure the next witch we find will have one if you're in dire need of one," Kol assured. They weren't exactly the easiest thing to come across, but they weren't the rarest object either.

"You don't understand," Lucy muttered, leaning back against the shelf as she turned to look at him. "Claudia's had the name and address of every witch that could be linked to the Bennett family line. Genealogy was her hobby, she's been building this list for years and has the most up to date one ever created." She rubbed her forehead and Kol could see the tension building in her body. "I know a significant number of them—the obvious ones are easy enough to find, distant cousins and all, but the ones whose family line deviated centuries ago were in there and all of their relatives. And now, Elena or whoever did this has that book and access to where every one of them is located."

And they both knew what the list would be used for. Killing off that many witches of one power line could have devastating consequences on the world, would upset the balance of nature to a degree that had never been done before. Not to mention it was the Bennett line. One of the oldest lines of witchcraft and if the legends surrounding them were true, one of their descendants was the one who trapped Silas. This meant that one of their descendants was needed to kill him.

Kol froze, sensing something else in the house, someone nearby that he hadn't noticed before with the fresh kills filling the air. "We're not alone," he commented, flashing away from Lucy and toward the movement.

He caught the vampire by the throat, shoving her into a nearby wall, and from the pictures hanging on it confirmed that she had been the owner of the house and most likely mother to the dead children. He wondered who had fed on them, their mother or the one who had turned her.

"Claudia," Lucy gasped, hand clasped over her mouth as she entered the room, staring in horror at the sight of her friend. "Who did this? Was it the doppelganger?"

The newborn vampire thrashed in his grip, no doubt focused on the blood pumping in Lucy's veins and wanting nothing more than to drink it. "You will stop struggling. You will not attack, and you'll be a good girl now, and answer all of our questions," Kol compelled, knowing they needed the information.

The woman's eyes glazed over, confirming what he'd told her to do before he glanced back at Lucy. "Ask again but make sure they'll give you information you need because I already tire of this game and don't know how long I'll be able to wait to pull out her heart." He simply grinned at her glare before looking back at the baby vampire.

"Who did this to you?" Lucy asked, and Claudia looked at her, forced to answer.

"It was the doppelganger," she replied, and Kol found it curious that she would know what Elena looked like. He'd need to ask Lucy about that later.

"Did she take the book?" Lucy continued.

"I don't know. I woke up and she had my children… _oh god_ …my babies?" Claudia looked at them and Kol could see the hysterics getting ready to begin. Her emotions would have been high enough without vampirism considering it was her children who were dead, but the added effect of her transitioning only heightened them further.

"Dead, most likely at your hand," Kol replied, releasing his hold on her and she dropped to the ground, sobs wracking her whole body. "Would you like to see them?"

"Kol," Lucy snapped, and he shrugged at the disgust in her voice.

"I have to hand it to the doppelganger, she's using a torture technique far past her years," Kol replied, glancing around the room at all of the photographs of the happy family. "Destroying the magic potential is probably her goal, but forcing the witches to kill their own families? Pure genius. Made a man eat his wife once. He never quite looked the same after that. Didn't end up stiffing me on drinks at his establishment again either."

Kol turned toward Lucy. "Would you like me to kill her now? Or shall I let her feast on the neighbors or compel her to walk out into the sun and die that way?" So many glorious options to choose from.

Claudia looked up at that, shaking her head but Kol ignored the pleas for her life. "Make it as painless as possible," Lucy replied, and he noted that she couldn't quite look at Claudia any longer.

Kol simply knelt down and smiled at the vampire, nodding along as she pleaded to live, to be able to see her babies one last time. He patted her cheek. "You'll see them again soon enough," he told her and plunged his hand into her chest, ripping out her heart.

He let it drop onto the floor and wiped his hands off on her already bloody shirt. Kol strolled out of the house, finding Lucy already in the car waiting for him. "I take it we'll be having all pertinent information told to us on the phone instead of waiting until we get to them from now on?"

Lucy didn't answer, simply peeled out of the driveway and turned on the radio, no doubt needing to drown out everything that she had seen, to try and forget that she'd condemned someone who had been a friend to death. Kol leaned back against the seat, tapping along to the song, a big smile on his face.

This was going to be an interesting journey.

* * *

Once Klaus had left their compartment and she'd managed to come down off of her high, Caroline had quickly altered the couch into its bed form and curled up in it, not wanting to deal with anything that had happened. She wanted desperately to fall asleep, but her mind was too busy, too frantic with worry over a million different things to allow for any rest. Though she'd managed to lay still and tried to even out her breathing when Klaus came back in, wanting him to think she was sleeping.

She doubted that he was fooled, though she was grateful that he didn't try to get her to interact, even if he didn't sleep. She hadn't known what he was doing at first, but eventually she'd made out the scratching of pencil against paper and figured he was sketching. Hopefully he'd remain focused on that for the rest of their journey.

Caroline didn't like that she really didn't know where they were headed. The places he named meant nothing to her, she had no frame of reference for them, and it was making her uncomfortable, antsy. For someone who craved control as she did, it was hard to not be able to read the signs, to understand what people were saying around her, to know how to get around. And he seemed to know it all, for it to be as easy as tying his shoes, and she knew that was because he was well traveled and had been doing it for a thousand years, but it still aggravated her.

The silence was stifling though and if she allowed it to continue, her thoughts would return to her mother again and the anxiety would only strengthen. Caroline didn't want to give it a chance to take hold and fester inside of her, needing to trust that her mother was safe from harm. She didn't like what she'd had to do, didn't think she'd ever like it, but she hadn't come up with any alternatives while they'd been on the first train for a few hours and had to accept that there hadn't really been another way. Every other idea ended up with her mother in peril and seeing the monster that her daughter had become.

Caroline turned over so that she could see Klaus, watched him concentrate on what he was drawing for a few moments and wondered if he'd be annoyed if she spoke. "Does it take long to learn a new language?"

He arched a brow at that but didn't look up from his sketchbook. "It depends on how you go about doing so. Books and those cds or online programs that are offered nowadays don't do any language justice. The key is to live in the area and immerse yourself in the culture, in every day conversations. As a vampire you'll learn quicker and as time goes by you'll catch on faster because of your reflexes and ability to see the connections various languages all have to one another. Though you'll not have the benefit my siblings and I did in seeing a variety of the current languages evolve the way we did."

"I don't like not knowing where we are or what the signs say or not understanding more than half of what everyone else is saying around me." She'd been in Mystic Falls her whole life and was used to seeing and hearing everything in English. Seeing that the rest of the world spoke in so many different ways was eye-opening.

It wasn't that she didn't know that the world spoke different languages, that English wasn't everyone's first language or only languages as her case might be—four years of high school French classes had taught her nothing—but it was different to be thrust out into the world and experience it in the rapid way that she was now.

Klaus looked up at her then and she tucked her hands under her chin, not really caring how young she must have looked in that moment. "Is there a particular language you'd like to learn first? You'll find in Romania that they speak a number of languages depending on the village we head to. Mostly Romanian, but some German, Hungarian, Slovakian, Turkish, Russian, various dialects of Romani, and others. But most of the signs you'll see are in Romanian. I believe they finally made it the official language of the country in the last century or so."

She wrinkled her nose at that, his almost casual way of referring to a century as not being a significantly long time.  _You have to adjust your perception of time when you become a vampire, Caroline_. His words echoed in her head and she wondered how she was supposed to do that. How did she go from planning for proms and decade dances and weekend dates to planning out decades and centuries and all of that?

It had never seemed as daunting as it did in that moment. Probably because she'd never paid it much attention, deliberately forced it all from her thoughts whenever it would pop up, but it was near impossible to do that any longer. Not when she was getting a taste of what her eternity would be like.

No mom, her friends dispersed around the world because she wasn't naive—Bonnie would die one day and Stefan, Elena and Damon would probably forever be locked in their crazy triangle and as much as she loved at least two of them, there was only so long she'd be able to deal with that drama. But Tyler was immortal as well and maybe he'd be with her, somehow. Maybe she could get Klaus to let him go, to not kill him, and she and Tyler could travel the world together.

Except she didn't really see it happening. She remembered his pull to go with the werewolves back when he'd turned, that same pull she'd seen with the hybrids, and Caroline had a feeling that it wouldn't ever really go away. From what she'd seen of werewolves they didn't roam the world either. They seemed to settle in places, to form roots, and that wasn't something she wanted to do. Eighteen years in one small town had really been enough for her.

And then there was Klaus.

Klaus who offered her the world. Klaus who knew the world. Klaus who did horrible, awful things, like murdering her friends, using them in sacrifices, getting them to bite her, who terrorized her town for months on end. Klaus who seemed to be doing everything in his power to protect her even if it was sometimes in ways that she found to be utterly despicable. Klaus who'd allowed her mother to go to a place he owned and Caroline didn't doubt for a second he had eyes on Liz to insure her safety.

Klaus, the conundrum that on one hand she just couldn't figure out and on the other felt like she knew entirely too well.

"You never answered my question, love," Klaus pointed out, breaking Caroline from her thoughts. He smiled when she looked questioningly at him, unsure what question he'd asked. "What language would you want to learn?"

"I was learning French in school but I seriously doubt anything has stuck besides like a few words or phrases," she murmured, pursing her lips in thought. "I think I'd like to learn Italian though." Because her mother was in Italy and maybe Liz would fall in love with the area and when Caroline broke the compulsion on her she'd want to stay in the area and never return to the chaos that was Mystic Falls.

"Considering the way most schools go about teaching languages it's not surprising that you've barely picked it up," Klaus told her, and closed the sketchbook before placing it down on the small table.

She couldn't help but wonder what he had been working on, but she held back from asking, not wanting to pry. Or really confirm that it might have been her face he was drawing again because if it was the butterflies would come back and she didn't need those fluttering around. They needed to be caught, released and never thought of again. Not fed and allowed to remain and grow into something greater. It was one thing to enjoy the first sketch anyone had ever done of her but it was another to want to see Klaus do more of them. At least in her mind it was. One time was okay, but wanting it to happen again was a betrayal to Tyler.

"Can you tell me about Vincent? It might help with the whole not being vulnerable thing you were wanting to insure." With his blood. His delicious blood that she needed to not allow him to give her again because she  _knew_  blood sharing between vampires was supposed to be intimate and maybe he hadn't had hers, but she'd felt how her body reacted to drinking in his and didn't want it to react that way toward him.

"What do you want to know, love?" Klaus asked, and Caroline could swear he was able to read her thoughts in that moment because of how his gaze seemed to bore into hers.

" _I dunno_. Anything. Everything. How did he turn? When did he turn? Who turned him? Why's he a collector? Why did he get turned? What does he collect besides the bones of dead witches?" She rapid fired the questions, anything to help get him to stop looking her like that. With that damn all-encompassing look that made her body tingle in ways it shouldn't with him.

Klaus leaned forward, elbows resting on his knees as he looked at her. "I turned him nearly seven hundred years ago. We created a number of vampires back in the day, a way of throwing off Mikael when we needed to dash away into the night, leaving them to be sacrificed for our benefit. Some were what I believe is nowadays called our 'groupies'. Ones we created for amusement and because we wanted to keep them around for a longer period of time than those we fed on." She frowned at that, not really wanting to know what Klaus and his siblings would find to be amusing. "Vincent had a great mind for his day and age. Was able to observe the world and see things that have only been acknowledged as fact in the last century or so. I didn't see a point in wasting his mind and turned him, taught him how to survive, and allowed him to go on his way collecting what he did and learning all he could. He's a wealth of knowledge that I like to tap into every now and then."

"So he's not antagonistic toward you?" That was a good thing, right?

"You'll come to find that outside of your tiny town, Caroline, that those old enough to actually know my face treat me with the fear and respect that I deserve and those who don't know my face but know my name, cower once they learn who I am," he replied, looking entirely too pleased with himself.

She rolled her eyes at that, though she couldn't discount that everyone they'd met so far seemed to hold him in a mix of high regard and fear. "I'm not going to cower at your name or in your presence," she told him and she never really had. "And I'll treat you with the same respect you treat me."

"I've no intention of making you cower before me, sweetheart," Klaus told her and from the intensity of his look she just knew she wouldn't like how he continued. "I'd much prefer you shaking before me for far more pleasurable reasons."

Caroline scoffed at that, thankful for the blanket pulled over her body, shielding from him the small tremor that road up her spine at his words. "How much longer until we can get off the train?" It was definitely time for a topic change.

He pulled out his cellphone and clicked it on, noting the time. "About an hour I'd wager. You can sleep if you'd like but the hotel I've booked will be far more comfortable."

Of course it would be.

Caroline pulled out her iPod, thankful she'd thought to pick one up during their last shopping trip before leaving Amsterdam, and turned away from him, not willing to talk any longer. She closed her eyes as the music started playing and willed the rest of the world away for a bit, needing time to recharge.

* * *

Life is made up of a lot of defining moments, some of them having lasting significance and others forgotten almost as soon as they happened. Her mother's abandonment, not once but twice, was something Bonnie wanted desperately to forget but seemed to be forever seared into her mind. After learning the circumstances for why Abby had left the first time she could almost forgive her, had started that healing process, but all too soon it had all gone up in smoke and her mother had left all over again.

She hadn't expected Abby to even answer when she'd located her, hadn't expected any help from the woman who had given birth to her, but surprisingly her mother seemed to have also been looking for her, had somehow known she was in trouble.

Bonnie didn't know what to make of that, but she did know that she wasn't going to fall for any false promises this time. She wouldn't try to make this meeting into something it wasn't. There was not going to be a mother-daughter reunion, no heartfelt moments like she'd watched Elena and Caroline get with their mothers, like she'd had with her Grams before the older woman had died.

She would almost prefer not to see Abby, not to be anywhere near the woman who couldn't seem to handle being a mother and she probably would never have reached out to her if circumstances had been different. But she needed help, she needed answers, and Abby seemed like she'd at least be able to point her in the direction of some other witches who could offer up answers.

And yet there she was in some truck stop restaurant with Eddie, waiting for the woman who gave birth to her and trying not to show how anxious she felt. Eddie kept side glancing at her, opening his mouth to say something but closing it quickly before going back to sipping his drink through the straw. Bonnie was trying not to rip apart the napkin on the table in front of her, tried to not keep glancing over at the doorway waiting for Abby to appear.

Hopefully this wouldn't be another in a long line of disappointments.

"I'm guessing you and your mom have some issues?" Eddie finally said and Bonnie looked over at him, shrugging in response. "Just from the way you two spoke on the phone. Also how the look on your face keeps getting increasingly more disappointed each time you look over at the door and no one enters."

"We have a complicated relationship." Which was putting it lightly but she didn't really want to get into it all. She didn't even know where to start. "Actually. There's something we need to talk about. She's a vampire and I'm going to need you to not kill her." This was going to be tricky because she hadn't worked on conditioning him not to give into his new base instincts. This could be a disaster…if her mother ever showed up.

"She's a…what?" He stared at her before leaning back against the booth and raking a hand through his hair. He had that 'is anything ever normal with you' incredulous look on his face and Bonnie couldn't blame him for it.

Eddie had the unfortunate luck of being thrown into all the supernatural mess just like she and her friends had gone through about two years ago. She didn't know how to tell him that it was probably only going to get worse. Or he'd end up dead.

God, that was depressing.

"Vampire. It's complicated but you can't kill her. You'll probably really want to but…don't." She could always knock him out if she really needed to.

The bell jingled to indicate that someone had opened the door and Bonnie glanced over, noting an older woman walking through the door. No one else was with her but she scanned the place before heading over to them. Bonnie had no idea who she was but there was something vaguely familiar about her, someone she was reminded of but she couldn't put her finger on who.

"Bonnie Bennett," the woman murmured, smiling down at the two of them as she stopped at the table. "You're even prettier in person."

"I'm sorry, do I know you?" Because Bonnie still couldn't place her.

"I'm a distant cousin of yours. Sheila was my aunt and I believe you've met my daughter. Lucy," the woman told her and Bonnie blinked, suddenly realizing why the shape of her nose and eyes had seemed so familiar.

Lucy. Her cousin. The witch who'd been beholden to Katherine and then wasn't any longer. "You're Joanna," Bonnie replied, and Eddie scooted over in the seat to let the woman sit down. "Is my mother with you?" She glanced out the window to try and spot her.

Joanna shook her head, a mixture of sadness and irritation reflecting in her features. "Your mother isn't quite ready to be in your presence it seems."

Of course she wasn't. Bonnie couldn't believe she'd had a sliver of hope that this time would be any different. "It doesn't matter." She shrugged. One more moment to add to her ongoing list of her mother disappointing her. "There are bigger things at play right now and we need to focus on that."

"I know all about Silas and what Valencia is trying to do. What she nearly manipulated you into doing," Joanna informed her and then looked over at Eddie. "And I know of the Hunter you found. I'm here to help both of you. Him with learning what he must do and about his heritage." She looked back at Bonnie. "And for you, to purge the expression that Shane and the others tried to tarnish you with. Oh it'll give you great power but in the end it will destroy you and with it the Bennett line. This is what Silas wants, Bonnie. Without our line no one will be able to stop him. It was our magic that trapped him in the first place and it will be our magic that will destroy him once and for all."

Bonnie frowned, wondering exactly all that she hadn't been told by Shane and Valencia, wondering how she'd let them manipulate her the way they had. She'd just wanted her magic back, to fill up that emptiness that had eaten away at her once it was gone. She'd never meant to hurt anyone.

Joanna reached across the table and offered up a reassuring smile. "Don't worry. We'll cleanse you and help you gain what you need to. Together we'll make certain to finish what Qetsiyah started so long ago."

* * *

Caroline was getting used to how Klaus seemed to always pick the finer establishments for pretty much everything that they did. She had a feeling it hadn't always been like this, not with him being on the run from Mikael. Surely he'd needed to be more discreet at times, but she supposed that during those long stretches where he and his siblings had been far enough away from the man they had called father that there was no way they'd have chosen to live in squalor. Not when he carted around paintings that should be hanging in the Louvre or had bracelets that apparently belonged to some foreign princess at some point.

She'd never really wanted for much growing up, hadn't gotten everything she wanted either, but her mother and she had gotten by well enough, her father paid his support and Caroline had been able to join committees instead of getting a part time job. She owned a new car, she'd bought clothes from the small boutiques in town, and while her mother wasn't exactly fashion forward, Caroline had been one to set a lot of the trends at the high school. So she was used to a certain level of comfort.

But then there was the level of comfort that Klaus expected and it was at a level Caroline didn't even realize existed outside of movies and MTV specials. She didn't want to get used to it, didn't want to come to expect it for traveling she knew she'd end up doing later on in life. Maybe she hadn't seen Amsterdam and New Orleans under the best circumstances but she couldn't discount that going to those cities had definitely piqued her interest even more.

There was always compulsion and while part of her hated that ability, especially when coupled with feeding, it was hard to discount how it did make life easier in some ways. Caroline wasn't sure if it was supposed to be easy like that though, her mind a conflicted mess in regards to all of it. Her mother probably wouldn't have approved, but there was that tiny voice in the back of Caroline's head asking what she was supposed to do to survive? She knew she wouldn't be able to stay in one place for too long a time, not with how young she looked, not unless she did resort to compulsion every now and again. Especially because she thought it'd be difficult to find a decent job when she looked forever seventeen. Maybe if she had been older when she was turned it would've been different, but Caroline didn't think it would have really done more than allow her a few more years somewhere before suspicion started.

Caroline watched Klaus interact with the concierge, getting the two of them the best room available, all charm and dimples with compulsion mixed in and for a moment she didn't see the murderer, but an experienced traveler, one who loved a variety of arts as shown when he pointed out various paintings displayed in the hotel lobby to her. It was hard to reconcile these parts of him with the others, those violent parts that could come out without a moment's notice. She liked these parts, couldn't quite force herself not to want to see more of them. Nor could she discount the other parts...though what frightened her most about those ones was the fact she also found herself wanting to see them at times too.

She thought it might be the beast inside of her, the vampire that she tried to not allow out in all its glory. The others thought she did such a great job with it all, with being a vampire, but Caroline doubted any of them understood precisely how much effort it took to make the decisions that she did, to reel it all in as often as she needed to.

"I believe the phrase is 'a penny for your thoughts', love," Klaus told her, interrupting her thoughts.

"I never liked that phrase," Caroline informed him, nose scrunching in annoyance. "My thoughts are worth more than a penny."

He laughed, something she didn't hear often from him, not this genuine kind without any malice behind it, and it brought her back to other conversations they had engaged in, had her wondering how often he allowed himself to let down his guard in order to actually feel amusement. Caroline didn't think it was all that often. Oh she'd seem him find amusement in other things, heard from Stefan that Klaus found it in other's pain and misfortune, but the laugh Klaus let out around her was different.

It was human, or at least, was another little sign that he had humanity in him. Which was something she had been witnessing often lately, picking it up in situations here and there, even with all of the hell happening around them, even with his anger and control issues, she still saw it.

Like when he had taken her hand in the cab and simply held it, letting her take what comfort she could from him without any sharp remarks.

"How much do you wager they're worth then?" Klaus asked, brow quirked, a smile tugging at his lips and Caroline pressed hers together, trying not to grin back, wanting to keep hold of the melancholy she'd been feeling since compelling her mother but it didn't work. His grin was contagious and she found herself smiling back.

"Oh, they're priceless," she replied, and her smile faltered for a moment as the elevator door opened. She didn't want this ease that she felt around him, which had only been growing no matter how hard she tried to force it down and away. It shouldn't be there, not with all he had done to her friends, not after what he'd had Tyler do to her all those months ago. But it was there and no matter how she tried to bury it, to squash the undercurrent of happiness, of contentment and the allure of the challenge he invoked within her, she couldn't do it. It was easy to hold onto her feelings of displeasure, of annoyance and anger with him except in moments like this and it was why Caroline hadn't wanted to be alone with him. She had wanted to travel with one of the others, even though she'd known he'd never have allowed her to leave his side.

"As priceless as you are," Klaus replied and she couldn't help but roll her eyes at the cheesiness of the line. Also noted his frown could practically see him mentally reprimanding himself for the reply, and Caroline wondered how many others he'd used similar lines on.

Though how many others had he allowed to talk as she did with him, or done whatever necessary to protect like he had with her?

She headed into the elevator, forcing all of her conflicting thoughts from her head. The sooner they found Vincent and got what they needed, the sooner everything would be over and things would go back to normal. Or as close to it as they could ever be again. If nothing else she could have her mother back and not spend every minute with Klaus.

"We'll need to head out to a few local establishments just beyond the city," Klaus informed her as they rode up in the elevator, the bellhop taking another with all of their luggage. "Alert Vincent to our presence and obtain an invitation to his residence, but before we do that, we should be able to freshen up some after the long journey. I can put you in contact with Stefan if you'd like."

Caroline nodded, worrying her bottom lip as she wondered how everyone was doing in their travels. They all had specific tasks and suddenly having their group broken apart was disconcerting. "Can you see if my mother made it?"

She tried so hard not to sound too hopeful about that as she looked at him, noting the flash of regret in his gaze before he looked away, holding the elevator door open for her as it stopped at their floor. "It would be best if no contact was made with anyone there, Caroline."

Of course.

If they were in constant contact or even any contact probably someone would be able to trace her mother. Caroline couldn't help the rush of sadness at that fact though as she stepped off the elevator and waited for Klaus to show where they needed to head. "I would offer to take away the pain, but we both know you wouldn't want that," Klaus continued, and she couldn't help the slight shiver at the idea of compulsion being used on her. "You're strong, Caroline. You'll survive this; you'll endure this, and become even more fearless than you are now, sweetheart."

"I know." Even if she was tired of being stuck in survival mode. She'd really like to get back to living mode. That was where she thrived.

Caroline hadn't realized that Klaus had moved over to her until she felt his breath on her ear, sensed him standing right behind her and had a feeling he was only standing an inch or less away from her. "Don't hesitate to let me know if you're hungry," he told her, and she sucked in a breath at that, knowing exactly what he was referring to. "I'm more than happy to oblige."

He was ahead of her seconds later, sliding the keycard into the door and opening it as the bellhop headed toward their room, leaving Caroline standing in the hallway, trying not to appear as flustered as she felt. She glared at the space where Klaus had been and forced her walls back into place, tried not to think about how flimsy they had become.

She'd told him once that she was too smart to be seduced by him and that hadn't changed. Especially not because of her bloodlust that she'd worked so painstakingly hard to get under control. The prickling of her fangs through her gums didn't mean a damn thing and she concentrated, taking a deep breath and forced them away before striding into the hotel room, deliberately not giving away any of her astonishment and exhilaration as she took in every detail of the area.

Klaus was speaking to the bellhop, directing where to place their luggage and Caroline headed to the balcony, mentally reminding herself of each and every horrible thing Klaus had ever done to her friends, to her, to anyone she could think of for a moment. She glanced back into the room, spotting Klaus tipping the young man, and looked back out at the city.

Everyone else probably thought of the Hybrid being his most dangerous when he was in his volatile mode, when his hybrid features were in full bloom, but for Caroline  _this_  was Klaus at his most dangerous. Charming smiles and pretty words and the ability to make her nearly forget all of the bad and she needed to focus on keeping her guard up, on not letting him in any more than she apparently had in that cab and on the train and work on fixing all that was happening so she could get her mother back.

Her mother that he had protected in his own way.  _For her_.

Caroline wasn't stupid, she knew he hadn't done it out of the goodness of his heart, or because he wished for her mother to be unharmed. He'd done it for her, because he knew Liz was important to her—the most important person in the world—and it had won him some major points. Even if she didn't like what had been needed, even if she didn't want her mother not knowing who she was thousands of miles away from her.

Caroline found herself feeling grateful, found herself wanting to give him that tiny chance he'd asked for all those months back, but hesitant to do so, frightened even because she knew once she allowed for one that Klaus would weasel his way in and he would never ever let her go.

Not that she thought he'd do that now anyway, but allowing that would only make it all that much more permanent.

"We'll be leaving in an hour," Klaus called out, and she turned back watching him motion toward the doorway that led to her room for their stay. "Do what you must to refresh and get ready." She nodded, not trusting her voice in that moment, and watched Klaus head toward his own room, stopping before he got to it and looking over at her again. "You'll be getting another taste of what the supernatural world is like outside of that tiny home town of yours. Of the greatness that is waiting to embrace you if only you'd allow it."

"Maybe I don't want your greatness. Maybe I want my own." She forced a glare at that, arms crossed at her chest, and her eyes narrowed even further at his amused smirk and knowing look, as if he was seeing parts of her that Caroline had no intention of letting him or anyone see.

"One hour, Caroline, and we'll leave no matter your state of dress," Klaus continued before heading into the room before she could reply.

Caroline sighed, doubting he'd actually force her to head out if she wasn't quite ready, but there was little point in putting that to the test. Not for the first time that day she couldn't help but wonder what the hell she'd gotten herself into and how to survive it all with who she was intact.

It was going to be a long night.

 


	16. Chapter 16

_i am mine, before i am anyone else's_  -nayyirah waheed

* * *

Although Rebekah had always had her own share of power—it came with the territory of being an Original—she quite enjoyed the freedom the twenty-first century granted her. There was no need to compel others when she was without an escort or worry about other trivialities that came into play because she was a woman. There was still the blatant ogling, the little games she'd seen played out through the centuries with men angling what power they had over women, but those had always been easy enough for her shut down. It was the morals of society, that belief that women needed to be with a male member of their family while traveling or out shopping or a hundred other little things, that she was pleased to see was abolished in most places.

It would come in handy if she took the cure.  _When_ , she reminded herself, strumming her fingers along the arm rest in the car.  _When I take the cure_. The little doubts her brothers had placed in her head were going to be pushed aside and buried if it was the last thing she did. They were not allowed to take this chance away from her with their words when  _she knew_  nothing would change between all of them.

Nik would still wave around the damn daggers. Kol would run off for decades at a time for a break. Elijah would have some sort of falling out, probably over the ridiculous doppelganger, and she'd be left with Nik. Nik who was working his damnedest to get the stroppy little cheerleader to become his new companion for eternity.

This wasn't like his past dalliances where she watched her brother court, feed, and dispose or court, turn and then get bored of them, leaving them to make their own way in the world. Rebekah had thought that at first, could have handled that little game playing out again as it always had, but this was different and she didn't like it. She didn't like the feeling of replacement that had settled into her bones and couldn't be shaken.

So she would replace  _him_  and the rest of them with a new family. It was a simple plan and one she thought would work out beautifully. Well, as long as she didn't look too hard at the fine print of it all, but the fantasy of being human and having a family was a nice one to hold onto, even if she knew in the back of her head that it would be nothing like she was dreaming of.

"Why aren't we simply flashing our way to the damn school again?" Rebekah inquired, glancing over at Stefan in the driver's seat.

"We've been away for weeks and have no idea what's going on in the town. Liz isn't in charge of the council any longer. But as far as we know they all think we're human and attend the school. So we go in like we would any other day, get the tombstone, and leave," Stefan replied, replaying all he'd told her before.

"If they tried anything I could simply kill them." Easy enough.

"Like you did when the Reverend's people took you?" he asked, and she pursed her lips in annoyance at that.

She hadn't been expecting an attack, hadn't thought they knew her little secret, but this time would be different. She'd be aware and on the lookout for anything. She'd also been highly distraught over Klaus' supposed death so Rebekah figured that gave her some leeway on not having been able to adequately defend herself in time. "Besides, some of us do want to be able to come back here when all is said and done," Stefan added.

Rebekah rolled her eyes at that and looked out in time to see the 'Welcome to Mystic Falls' sign. "Don't be so naive, Stefan. This place will never feel like home for any of you when all is said and done. Elena's brother is dead and who even knows where her or Damon are. Perhaps they've decided to go off on their own little adventure together. Without you. It was always inevitable. Sire bond and all. Pesky little thing to break and I doubt Damon will care much about doing so considering it gets him what he wants."

Even if it did cause him to lose his brother. Seemed family didn't mean all that much to the Salvatore brothers in the end.

Stefan's grip tightened on the wheel, the force behind his grip reminding her of Klaus on their prior road trip, and she wouldn't be surprised if the steering wheel was a wrangled mess when they exited the car. "There was maybe a decade here for the lot of you, anything more and people would've become too suspicious," she continued. "But you already know that. Unlike the rest of your little motley crew you and your brother have been vampires for over a century now. We do not stay in any one place for too long. I'd think that would be even more crucial nowadays."

With digital photographs and videos and the damn internet. It was becoming so easy to track down someone. Though there would be no more running from her father so that was a plus and if she did become human, well, then, she wouldn't need to worry about any of that anyway. "And your family's line is dead, is it not?"

Hadn't she heard that little rumor from Damon during their tryst? Something about killing their last relative? She couldn't remember exactly but Stefan's deepening frown seemed to support her belief. "So really, what's the appeal of this place?"

"I don't know? Why did you decide to stay? Why didn't you leave like Kol and Elijah did?" Stefan asked, and she looked out the window, watching as the beginnings of the town came into view.

"I had a chance for normal but it's buried in the ground now." Not that she was even sure Matt would have ever forgiven her in the end but she had desperately wanted that forgiveness. "Be thankful Nik simply compelled you, Stefan. Most of my lovers don't get such luxury as their parting gift. But then he did count you as a  _friend._ "

Stefan didn't reply and Rebekah didn't really feel like continuing the conversation. She simply wanted to get to the high school, get the tombstone, and get out. They'd figure out what to do afterward once they had the object in their hands.

It wasn't long before Stefan was parking the car in the parking lot, the rest of the student populace doing the same, piling in from buses or walking. Rebekah cast a quick glance in his direction before the two of them headed into the school and down to where the exhibit was set up, making sure to offer up the requisite smiles to cheerleading teammates or others that she knew.

"Do you see it?" she murmured to Stefan as they looked over the exhibit. She wasn't seeing it. Had it been moved? Knocked down maybe? That had to be possible. Especially with all of the people who passed by it on a daily basis.

The bell was ringing, the hallway becoming less crowded as everyone headed to class, and the two of them stepped closer, moving objects out of the way as they tried to find the stone. Her hands began to shake as they uncovered nothing. This couldn't be happening.

"It's not here, Rebekah," Stefan muttered, sounding as frustrated as she felt, and she looked over at him, seeing the same shock and disappointment that she knew she was displaying.

How could it not be there?

"Rebekah?" April's voice came from behind them and the two whirled around to see the younger girl in the hallway looking at them with wide eyes. "Stefan? Are you guys back? Where have you been?" April stepped forward, hugging her and Rebekah hesitated for a moment before hugging the girl back.

"Just passing through," Rebekah informed the girl she'd called friend. "Has anyone been near Professor Shane's exhibit? Touching items they shouldn't have?"

April shook her head. "Not that I've seen."

Rebekah frowned, looking back at the various items. It  _had_  been there when she'd left town and asked April to keep an eye on it but now it was gone. And yet the girl hadn't seen anyone near it. Of course April wouldn't have been around school after hours so perhaps it happened then. She really should have compelled the girl to tell her if anything ever went missing, but she hadn't expected the damn exhibit to be of any importance to anyone else.

"You could always check the school security camera. They have one on it because of its importance," April suggested, nodding toward the camera in the ceiling. "Especially since Professor Shane was found dead."

Rebekah glanced over at Stefan. So it seemed his body had been found. Not surprising considering what Klaus had told her of his death.

"Thank you, April. Why don't you go on to class now?" Rebekah suggested, watching the girl walk away. She'd be the one person who might actually miss Rebekah in the town. From what April had said she'd been the only one who asked about her disappearance. None of the other girls from the squad or planning committees had. She didn't doubt for a second that they all wondered where Caroline was though.

"Mrs. White, the office manager, should know where we can see the feed," Stefan stated, breaking Rebekah from her thoughts.

Ten minutes and some compulsion later, and the two of them were sitting in the conference room, reviewing the security camera feed. There wasn't anything of importance at first, just the comings and goings of students, some dusting by the night janitor, absolutely nothing out of the ordinary until they finally spotted Katherine and Elijah.

"Of course," Rebekah muttered as she paused the feed.

"If anyone would throw a wrench into all of the plans it would be Katherine Pierce," Stefan pointed out, leaning back in his chair. "At least she's with Elijah. You can contact him, can't you? Figure out where he is and we can get the stone."

If only it were that simple but Rebekah knew better. If Elijah was with Katerina that meant he was no doubt being influenced by the doppelganger. She'd seen how that played out before with other women in his life. They'd have to be careful and plan their next move out thoughtfully. After all, in order to have taken the tombstone and  _only_ that stone he had to have known it had some importance. No doubt he was aware it linked to the cure somehow. So why hadn't he called them? Why hadn't he reached out to any of his siblings?

He certainly hadn't to her and she was sure they would have heard it if he had tried to talk to Klaus or Kol. Her oldest brother had to have his own agenda, one that apparently involved Katherine, and Rebekah knew that wouldn't end well. Most likely it had to do with bargaining for Katherine's freedom, something Rebekah doubted that Klaus would want to give. Though he wouldn't have much of a choice considering the circumstances.

"Elijah will do what Kol did. He'll go to the one witch we all knew would have information." And she had a feeling he would seek out Zelda. "We need to go back to New Orleans. Hopefully they're still there or at least she'll be able to let us know where they headed." Perhaps Zelda would put the other two on the same trail her group had already ventured.

Rebekah rose, ready to leave. Stefan didn't move though, and she shifted her gaze to the photograph of the cheer squad that he was looking at. It was before her time, but she easily picked out Elena, Caroline and Bonnie in it. "Let's go. I have no desire to be here any longer," she told him, heading toward the door.

High school and all that pertained to it didn't seem as appealing as it had only a month earlier. She couldn't help that little sliver of doubt running through her, asking how quickly she'd find being human unappealing as well, before she headed out of the room and out of the school, trying hard to squash the annoying reasoning in her head.

* * *

Katherine Pierce didn't like others knowing more than she did. Knowledge was power, something she had learned to cultivate and keep close to her chest for centuries. It was how she had survived for the last five hundred years, utilizing what she knew to barter deals, to betray others and insure her survival, to bribe, blackmail, and do whatever else she could to be the one who came out of any situation on top.

Five hundred years of never being able to call somewhere home. Of running from one man she had thought she could love. Of turning others and having to leave them behind because they were too much of a liability. There were no friends, not really, in the last half millennia, only those she had exploited, some less than others, but in the end any affection she had for another was quickly trumped by her own safety and well-being.

And she was done with living like that.

Klaus had gotten his damn curse broken. Why did she have to continue to suffer for wanting to live? To not be the catalyst in his damn sacrifice? He'd gotten what he wanted and Katherine was determined to have it finally be time for her to get what she desired. If she had to bring down a few more people to insure that then so be it. What were a few more souls on her already fully notched belt?

Aside from the one beside her. Elijah Mikaelson.

She really did think she could love him, had felt the first inklings of it back when she'd been human, but love had become a twisted emotion for her in the last few centuries, and she truly did not know if it would ever be able to be as pure as it had been back then. Back when she'd still had a touch of naivety to her being.

But she  _wanted_ him and the fact that it might cause Klaus a bit of pain if Elijah chose her over his family was a nice bonus. And wasn't the fact that she thought that she  _could_ love him saying something?

It wasn't as though he was a saint either. He had tormented her, chased her across the world for his brother, but when she was with Elijah, she did feel a small piece of the girl she had once been, the one she'd sacrificed so she could live, and Katherine wasn't quite ready to give up on that yet.

She wanted him and she would have him.

In the end, it was as simple as that.

New Orleans wasn't a place she liked to visit, too many witches around, wolves as well, and other supernatural creatures that went bump in the night. Too many who could've recognized her and sent a message to Klaus of her whereabouts. That didn't matter at the moment though. Not when she had Elijah at her side. Anyone old enough to know Klaus wanted her would also know Elijah and no doubt assume he was bringing her to his brother.

"How do you know she'll help us?" Katherine asked, already thinking up ways to get away from the situation if needed. Her survival instincts were always on overdrive.

"She's an old family acquaintance. Knew Kol quite well almost a century or so ago and I can be quite persuasive when needed," Elijah reminded, brushing specs of dirt of his suit jacket before nodding toward the tourist shop across the street.

"So you want her alive when we're done here?" Better to know that upfront.

"That would be my preference, yes," Elijah replied, and she was certain she could hear amusement in his voice, noted the slight upturn of his lips as they crossed the street.

The smell of death was overwhelming before they even got to the door. A Closed sign hung in the window, all the lights in the shop off, and Katherine noted the number of newspapers and flyers piling up on the doorjamb and space in front of it. "Something tells me you're not going to get your preference, Elijah," Katherine remarked, glancing around the street once again to make certain no one was watching them.

He easily pushed the door open, the lock hardly a deterrent. The two headed back toward the smell, Katherine looking around for exits, traps, anything that set off her instinct to bolt.

Elijah sighed at the sight of Zelda on the floor, body decomposing and looking as if it had been doing so for a few days. Katherine frowned at the sight, wondering what had killed the woman and if it was related to what they had in their possession. That stone which was currently stored away for safe keeping.

She watched as Elijah headed to the body, no doubt wanting to see if he could tell what had caused her death, and Katherine headed to the woman's desk, trying to see if anything useful was on it or inside of it. Anything that could give a hint as to what to do next. Klaus was not allowed that cure. Not until she got it and was able to bargain for her freedom.

The shrill ringing of Elijah's phone cut through the silence and Katherine glanced up, watching him answer it. "Hello, Rebekah."

Katherine doubted she would have needed vampire hearing to overhear the conversation considering how loud the other girl seemed to be screaming, rolling her eyes at Rebekah's colorful names for her. She listened carefully, picking up on everything, and snagging a piece of paper with some numbers that looked to have been scrawled down in a hurry. She tucked it away in her bra before Elijah looked back at her, ending his call.

"It seems Rebekah and Stefan will be joining us in the evening. They have quite a bit to tell us about this so-called cure," Elijah informed her and Katherine simply smiled.

Hopefully they would get a new lead but she had every intention of figuring out how to eliminate the other two from the equation if needed. She had no patience for Rebekah's tantrums and her own survival trumped Stefan every time. Not to mention Rebekah that when push came to shove, Rebekah would always side with Klaus, and Katherine had no intention of losing out on her one chance for freedom.

"Then why don't we enjoy the city before they get here?" Katherine suggested, pleased when Elijah smiled, offering her his arm.

She would make certain they had a wonderful time together because if push came to shove and it was their last, if she had to betray him all over again, she'd at least like to part with some nice memories of what could have been.

* * *

They'd been in Romania for three days and Caroline was certain that she was coming apart at the seams. It had been okay that first day, even if she'd still been riding high on his blood and trying not to show it, to push down the inner thoughts that blood from his vein seemed to invoke in her. Brasov had enough of a modern feel to it that while she hadn't been able to understand what was being said around her or on the television that she hadn't felt too disjointed from the world.

But that had all quickly been stripped from her when Klaus had moved them onto a smaller village about a hundred miles away from the city, nestled closely to the looming Carpathian mountains in the background. It was almost picturesque and Caroline had a feeling a lot hadn't changed in the area in the last century if not longer. It had been quaint and fascinating for the first few hours as she allowed Klaus to lead her through the area, eyes widening with the actual horse drawn wagons that had made their way through the town.

Funny how all of that was quickly gutted and left her aching for something normal when he compelled them lodging with a family near the edge of the village.

Caroline didn't like Romania with its language she didn't understand and the people who are entirely too nice and accommodating. Maybe at another point in time she would have embraced the culture, would have adored the families living under one roof that showed her and Klaus how to create wine with their freshly picked grapes. But she looked at all of them with their trusting eyes, all too welcoming smiles, and couldn't help thinking that they needed to stop inviting the wolf into their homes.

She didn't know these people, and barely understood what they were saying to her outside of some hand gestures and body language that seemed to be universal, but Caroline didn't want any harm coming to them. It wasn't their fault they didn't have vervain and ate copious amounts of garlic instead, hung the plant from their entrance ways and crosses in every room. She wouldn't be surprised if they drove stakes through their dead loved ones hearts before burying them either.

"We perpetuated those lovely myths," Klaus had murmured to her after dinner the second night. "Very few who are not actual hunters, witches, or descended from Councils like in your home town know of vervain."

And then he'd left in the middle of the night, practically ordering her to stay in the house, while he disappeared into the darkness, coming back with blood coating his collar and the stain of it on his face. She hadn't asked questions that night, simply sighed and turned over in the bed, not in the mood to comment about his hapless kills and once again thankful that there were two beds in the room they were sharing.

But he'd been gone again when she woke in the morning, the family already out in the fields or in the yard to do their chores. Caroline looked around the room, wondering where Klaus could have gone, looked for some kind of note for a few minutes, before settling for looking out the window at the two little girls alternating between washing the clothes and hanging them to dry.

Caroline's hands shook a little as she watched their mother come over to two of them, helping the shorter one reach the line to place the clothespins on it to secure the skirt. She closed her eyes, trying not to think of her mother, for the worry to seep back into her bones and try to take over again. She needed to be stronger than that, to not show the kind of vulnerability that she had been because she knew Klaus. He would seek out that weakness inside of her and exploit it to his benefit for all it was worth. And maybe that wouldn't be in the same way as he would to others, but she still couldn't allow him that inch of power.

"Good, you're awake," Klaus remarked as he entered the room and she breathed in, noting the smell of blood that seemed to come with him, or maybe that's her imagination as well, but she looked behind her and no, his lips are an even darker shade of red than they should be and there are flecks of blood on his collar.

"Who did you kill now?" she demanded, glaring at his bright smile and then turning away as he moved to change the shirt he was wearing.

"Who I needed to," Klaus replied, and god how she hated the mirth to his tone, the amusement that seemed to radiate off of him whenever she asked had her wanting to bash his head in.

Which was  _not_  good? She should not be thinking of ways to plan his death. Or maybe she should be. She wasn't sure any more and it was driving her mad. "Don't you think you need to like stop? This isn't that big of a village. I'm sure they'll totally notice if anyone goes missing!"

Yet there hadn't been any inquiries into it and that confused her. Had he compelled them all when she wasn't looking? She didn't think that was the case but it really wouldn't surprise her.

"It was no one of importance to this little village," he continued and she crossed her arms, still not looking back at him.

"Your definition of important is seriously skewed, Klaus," she muttered, needing to get away from him and the damn smell of blood.

That made at least three people who were dead, maybe more, probably more, but so far he'd left her three times to kill.

"As I already told you, Caroline, I'm merely getting my point across to those who need to know. We should be contacted sometime today," Klaus told her and she sighed at that. "Vincent's people will have gotten the hint by now that I'm around."

"Because simply walking up to the door and knocking is like totally out of the question," she murmured, turning around to look at him and thankful he was actually wearing a new shirt, his necklaces now hanging from his neck.

"There's a certain game that needs to be played out with Vincent when wanting to meet with him. Simply going up to his door will lead to witches blindsiding us and a number of other possibilities that I am in no mood for you to endure," he replied, and she frowned at that, wishing she hadn't turned around. "Vincent is a collector of many rare items, some of which others would do anything in their power to possess. He's powerful—hardly any match for me—but he does things a certain way so to weed out any undesirables. I play his game because I enjoy his company from time to time. Not to mention I quite admire his penchant for torturing any who would try to swindle him out of one of his wares. I'd rather not need to kill him if he were to mistakenly attempt to harm you because I failed to leave my calling card."

Caroline didn't like to think that more people were apparently dead in order to protect her. That was the last thing that she wanted to happen and she looked away, wishing there had been an alternative and annoyed that she hadn't thought of one. She had a feeling there were other ways to go about it but Klaus needed to feed and no doubt he was enjoying the game he was playing in leaving the victims in various spots along the Carpathian mountains right outside the town.

Her attention shifted as the smell of fresh blood hit the air, eyes darkening at the smell, and her gaze shifted to the window. The mother was trying to soothe one of her daughters who had accidentally cut her leg on a rock and Caroline bit her lip, trying to force down her need to feed. It had been a day? Or was it two? She couldn't quite remember any more. Not since the hotel room at least.

"You're going to need to feed, Caroline," Klaus told her, his tone implying that it wasn't up for discussion.

There were no blood bags in the village they were in and as much as she wanted to simply feed from one of the pigs out back she'd realized doing so would hurt the livelihood of the family and she didn't want to do that. So that left feeding from him, something she really didn't want to do again. She'd held off since the train and he'd provided her a glass of blood at their first hotel, no doubt from his victim, but she hadn't had anything since the day before and knew it was going to catch up to her soon.

Caroline had a feeling he'd only allowed it to slide because of the fact he was playing some weird game to contact Vincent. Why they couldn't just send a gift basket that let the other vampire know they were around was beyond her.

"I'd prefer you do it now, sweetheart. Never know when we'll be contacted and need to head off to meet Vincent," Klaus continued and she grimaced at that, gaze darting to his wrist for a moment.

"Why don't you just like slice your wrist open and fill up a cup for me and I'll drink that way. Worked back at the hotel that one time. Of course it wasn't your blood then…" Because his had its own distinct taste that wasn't exactly like a human's. She'd had animal blood, bagged, even from the vein, but Klaus' always reminded her of the really good dark chocolate her grandmother had used to give her, that tempting treat that was only supposed to be devoured on special occasions.

She knew the moment she'd said it that she shouldn't have. Not when he quirked his brow in that damn way and his lips curved into a seductive smile that would have had her shivering if she hadn't steeled herself for it. "Is there a reason you don't want to drink directly from my wrist?" he asked in a tone that implied he damn well knew why she was so against it. "I offer my blood to very few, Caroline, and when I do I prefer it to be from the source, not in a cup."

"You gave Damon your blood in a damn vial," she pointed out; pretty sure that was how it had transpired when the other vampire had needed the cure.

"You're not Damon," Klaus quipped, and looked out the window. "Unless you'd prefer for me to get one of them. They already have so many mouths to feed. I'm sure they could stand to lose one of the children. Or perhaps one of the older generation. We'll just compel them to think it was a heart attack or an illness they couldn't prevent." Caroline narrowed her eyes at that. "No? Well, then we'll need to stick with the alternative you and I both prefer."

Klaus tore into his wrist and stepped forward as he held it out to her.

Caroline tried to fight the need, willed her face to remain the same, for her fangs to stay in their place, but she was starving and his wrist was there, dying to be drunk from. "Would you rather the neck?" he continued and she sneered at him, trying not to notice how aroused he seemed to be. That coupled with her vampire features blossoming before him was driving her insane with need to take a sip.

She was on him in a second, hand grasping his arm, bringing his wrist to her mouth as she licked the blood, moaning at the taste of it before she sank her fangs into his already healing skin. Klaus tugged his wrist upward and she followed, desperate to keep drinking and he moved so he was standing behind her.

Caroline felt his chest press into her back, could feel his free hand in her hair, on her neck, his lips hovering dangerously close to her own skin. She inwardly screamed as her body moved back against him, hands curling tighter around his arm so that they wouldn't wander to where they wanted to go. His fingers were trailing along her neck, and she arched it, exposing more skin to him and moaned before continuing to drink, trying to focus on the blood and nothing else.

Her heart was beating frantically and all she could think of was hummingbirds and their tiny little hearts, trying so hard to stay alive as they darted along like her fingers were desperate to do. But she would not let them, dug them into his flesh instead, and could smell the blood they brought to the surface and oh how her eyes darkened at that, wanting more, needing more than she would allow herself to feel. She could almost taste his heartbeat, felt it in the pumping of his blood into her mouth, and she was certain that it was pattering along almost as quickly as her own.

"There's no need to be afraid of what you are, Caroline, of what you need," Klaus told her, and she kept drinking, tried to ignore him. Neither of those were what she feared from drinking his blood and for a moment she wondered if maybe he didn't know her as well as she thought he did.

But that was quickly squashed as he continued, his breath on her ear, "Nor do you need to be afraid of what it makes you feel."

She closed her eyes at that, trying to drown out his voice, to block out the way his body was pressed against hers and that his blood running down her throat was driving her crazy, unraveling her further. Her grip loosening just a little bit, wanting to touch other parts of him.

"Just a little more, sweetheart," Klaus continued, and when he pressed a kiss to her neck she pulled away, dropping his wrist.

"No," she gasped out, hating that it came out as a hiss, seeing the amber flash in his eyes because of it. She was shaking, her body and her mind at war with one another and she knew she needed to create space between them before her body did something she would regret.

"That was the last damn time I'm drinking from you." She pushed him away from her, and threw her suitcase onto the bed, needing to do something else with her hands and picking out clothes to wear for day seemed as good a task as any. She couldn't be idle even if she was telling him off. "Stop trying to control my actions. Do you think I don't know what you're doing?"

Did he think she didn't realize he'd completely upped the game they had been playing for months now? She needed to work out how to rework things so she'd have an upper hand again, so that she wasn't simply reacting to what he did. She needed to anticipate his actions again.

"And what is that?" Klaus mused and she whirled around, unsure which her body wanted to do more—tear out his jugular or slam him into the wall for far more pleasurable reasons that she should  _not_  be considering—so she rolled her eyes at him, building up her defensive wall all over again.

"I know what it means to share blood with another vampire, Klaus." Okay not really. She only knew that Damon and Stefan said it was intimate and that Stefan had been royally pissed when he learned Damon and Elena had done so before the whole breakup extravaganza. And that when she drank Klaus' blood her body was so damn sensitive to the touch and wanted things it shouldn't.

"I don't care if Vincent contacts us or not today. I'm not doing it again." She wouldn't. She  _couldn't_. She needed an alternative though because Klaus was right about the fact she shouldn't be vulnerable. "I'll go do my own hunts and live off deer or whatever animal is around here in the woods because your blood should sustain my strength for the next few days anyway." And if it was more than a few days…she didn't know. She'd figure that out if it came to it.

Maybe she could feed just a little off one of the… _no._  What the hell was she even thinking?

"Did you ever think you've got my motivation completely wrong, Caroline? That perhaps I'm simply trying to ensure your survival, all the while obeying your wish not to feed directly from humans," Klaus inquired, and she didn't want to hear that now. Didn't want to deal with him and his words that sometimes she understood completely and other times were entirely cryptic to her.

"If that was the case you would've done the whole blood in a glass thing like I requested," she pointed out, suitcase snapping shut.

"I'm not one to deny myself what I want like you're so steadfast to do, love," Klaus replied, and she pressed her lips together, refusing to look at him, her entire body was tensed though and she knew he would notice that. "You have excellent control but as we've already seen your desire to stick solely to blood bags is hardly going to sustain you once you're far from the comforts of home, Caroline. They're not as easily accessible as you seemed to have believed and you need blood to survive."

"I could survive on freaking animal blood." Ugh. Not that she wanted to, but she  _could_.

"And be far more susceptible to an attack," Klaus pointed out, and she knew he was right. She'd seen the difference between Damon and Stefan's strength with one drinking human and the other animal blood. But she'd also managed to kick Damon's ass when she was angry enough. Caroline knew that wouldn't always be the case though. "It's my blood or you allow me to teach you to feed properly."

" _No_." She wouldn't treat others as a damn blood bag. She remembered what it was like to be one; she wouldn't do that to anyone else.

"The end result doesn't have to be death and you do not have to cause them pain as it seems the elder Salvatore enjoyed doing to you. Or I doubt you'd have such a steadfast hang-up in regard to trying it out," Klaus continued, leaning against the wall as he watched her. She saw that barely contained rage in his eyes, had a feeling he was thinking out various torture routines to try out on Damon.

Her body was too tense and Caroline realized that her vampire features were still in play, that she could feel her fangs cutting into her bottom lip as she glared at him. He was hitting all the right buttons and she didn't trust herself to react like she needed to in that moment. Not around him when everything was so heightened. She needed to get a handle on her control again.

"It's my life. Not yours. I get to decide how I feed, not you," she muttered and grabbed her clothes. "I'm going to go get ready."

"Did you ever think I'm trying to help you learn how to truly live it?" he asked, and she had a witty reply on the tip of her tongue, but Klaus continued before she could reply. "You're  _not_  human, Caroline. You're a vampire. One that's been sheltered to a ridiculous degree by other vampires and allowed it because of ties to the human world. Ties that  _will_  end up dying, that will wither away with age and leave you alone in this world. Or did you think that Elena and the Salvatores would always be there for you? They're hardly there for you even now. Your mother already called Stefan out on his behavior, on their blasé attitude with waving you in front of me when I could have quickly ended your life. And let us not forget that he put up no fight to come with us on our journey."

Her hand clenched at her side, the other holding her clothes close to her chest. Her emotions were still getting the better of her but she didn't want to react to his words, even if they cut deeply because she couldn't help but see the truths in them. "His goal isn't your safety. Not truly. It's to find the cure, just as my sister wishes, and to give it to his precious Elena."

"Isn't that what  _you_  wanted?" she demanded at that, unable to hold her tongue any longer. "To give her the cure and start your little hybrid factory all over again?"

"I've seen where hybrid making leads and I'm not one to make the same mistake twice," Klaus replied, and she heard that anger in his voice, mixed with a hint of hurt and something else that had warning bells going off in her head, trying to remind her not to poke the beast within. "I've shifted to other priorities. Ones that I have no intention of giving up on."

His gaze locked with hers and it was amazing how that look could seem like both a threat and adoration all interlocked into one. Klaus had spent one thousand years to break his curse; Caroline didn't doubt that he would try to spend just as long in pursuit of her if needed. And that both terrified and thrilled her.

Why did it have to be  _him_  that put her first? That was making her first choice? Everything she had so desperately wanted but it was tied to Klaus. "We don't always get what we want," she replied, head held high in defiance.

Klaus simply quirked a brow. "Forever is a long time, sweetheart. The wrongs of the past are hardly an issue after a decade or two."

"Oh because your siblings don't still hold the past against you? Or you against them?" Really? She wasn't blind to that undercurrent of hostility and anger that ran through the Mikaelson siblings. "Must be convenient to simply dagger them away when you're tired of them."

His eyes narrowed, lips pressed in that way that reminded her of the ball when she'd doled out some hard truths. "Tell me, Caroline, why is it you're so intent on trying to pick a fight with me? Do you think it will lessen my regard? Have me give up on my intentions toward you? Or are you waiting for me to lash out and give credence to the monster you wish me to be so that you won't need to remember the other parts I've allowed you to witness?"

"I don't have to give credence to anything. You  _are_ a monster," she reminded, clutching her clothes tightly.

She didn't like Klaus' smile. There wasn't anything nice about it. This one was meant to offer up harsh truths to her, to cut and sting. "As are you and the sooner you stop trying to play the part of a human, the better you'll be at it."

He was much too close again, no regard at all for her personal space, but she stood her ground, not wanting to be backed into a corner even if there was only a miniscule space between their noses, and his gaze was even harder to ignore. "You'll be an amazing vampire if you let yourself be," he told her, fingers drifting to touch her face and Caroline realized that her vampire features were still in full bloom.

She wrenched away from him. "I'm getting ready," she reiterated and headed straight to the bathroom, needing distance.

Everyone else was outside so there was no need to worry about being seen and she needed a moment to herself. She had to gain control of her body, to calm it down, as well as stifle the thoughts and emotions coursing through her that demanded release, that wanted to feed. She wouldn't let her bloodlust win out,  _couldn't_  let it. Not with him. So she latched onto the one thing that usually forced Klaus from her mind.

_Tyler._

She wanted to call him, to see him, needed to keep his presence in the forefront of her mind before she cascaded over to a side she didn't want to go down, not yet. She had a timeline. She was supposed to have at least a decade before confronting any of this, before allowing herself to really experience all being a vampire entailed. She desperately wanted to see him, to hear his voice, to hold onto him and  _remember_  all of the terrible things Klaus had done.

Jenna.

Stefan.

Elena.

Matt.

Jeremy.

Mrs. Lockwood.

_Tyler._

Caroline kept repeating their names over and over again in her head as she tried to control her breathing. She could feel the bloodlust reside, her face transforming back to normal and her fangs sliding back up. The  _need_  Klaus was able to create in the pit of her stomach was still there though, lingering and waiting to be ignited all over again.

"Don't take all day in there, Caroline," Klaus called out, and she shut her eyes, fighting off the shiver that ran down her spine at his voice, her fangs dying to come back out and play. "We still have a number of tasks to accomplish for the day."

Caroline gripped the sink, working on her breathing again and looked up at herself in the mirror, seeing the pronounced veins in her face and the darkness of her eyes. It had terrified her before, frightened her to the very core when she'd first turned and control had been her way of coping with it. Klaus' words played out in her head,  _lovely_ , and she shut her eyes, calming her body down again, refusing to look at herself that way.

Not yet.

They needed to deal with Vincent, get the damn bones, and get back to civilization where she could get blood bags and not need to depend on Klaus and his damn delicious blood. Because Caroline didn't know if she could keep forcing her body to hold back from what it desperately wanted to do if she had to continue drinking his blood. Each time was harder than the last and she really didn't want to find out what her breaking point was.

* * *

To say that Bonnie Bennett was out of her element at the moment was a bit of an understatement. She'd never been in a Coven, never really seen how one would act or the deep bond that seemed to flow between all of its members. Resentment was unavoidable and she couldn't help but wonder why it hadn't been something she had ever been part of.

She'd had her Grams until she died. Lucy came into her life and left it just as quickly. Luka and his father had been more enemy than friend in the end. Her mother had been there for a brief moment and Bonnie had thought maybe things could have been different, but that dream had quickly been snatched away and shattered before her eyes. And then Shane had been playing her the whole time, just like Valerie, and Bonnie wondered if she would ever be able to truly experience what it was like to be in a Coven.

Maybe it simply wasn't something her branch of the magic line did. Her grandmother hadn't been part of one, it didn't seem like any of her ancestors had even when Mystic Falls had been a sanctuary from Salem. Maybe she was destined to be a lone witch, though she was at least grateful that these other witches were willing to try and help her.

Though laying on the ground in the middle of their circle was a bit surreal. Eddie was standing off to the side with Joanna—her cousin or second cousin or somehow family, Lucy's mom—but she couldn't see him any longer with all of the other witches standing. He had been hesitant about Joanna's plan, still not used to all of the supernatural nonsense that he'd been dragged into, and Bonnie couldn't really blame him for that. It'd taken her a while to really get a handle on it all and there were still times that she was thrown for a loop.

Like right now.

"Close your eyes and focus your mind, Bonnie," the head witch—what was her name? She really should have tried harder to remember names—told her as she knelt down behind Bonnie, hands coming to rest on either side of Bonnie's head.

Taking a deep breath, Bonnie did as she was told, putting her trust in these women. They said they needed to protect the Bennett line, that it was being decimated around the world, and that she couldn't be tainted as she was with expression. They needed to eradicate it from her very being so she could be open to the spirits again.

Bonnie feared it wouldn't matter though, that the spirits would still shut her out and she'd be locked out of magic all over again. She had to try though; she couldn't risk using expression again now that she had a better understanding of it, even if she knew she still didn't know everything about that form of magic.

"Phasmatos tribum nas ex viras," the woman started and Bonnie felt her body freeze, as if every muscle inside of her was suddenly on lockdown, and she was unable to move. "Purgal animum sous obscarus."

She could hear Eddie talking in the background, no doubt reminding Joanna once again that he didn't like what was happening, but Bonnie couldn't really make out his words. Not when the other witches started to chant as well, all saying the words in tandem. She screamed, pain shooting through her like she'd never experienced.

Her body felt like it was on fire, as if every single cell inside of her was burning, and she tried to grip at the ground, to move an inch, anything to get away from the source of pain, but it was no use. She couldn't move an inch as the heat inside of her amplified and her screams only became louder, pounding in her ears, and Bonnie was certain she could feel her brain boiling inside of her head.

And then just like that, the pain was gone and the chanting stopped. She opened her eyes, staring up at the smiling face of the Coven leader, the other members all chatting happily away as Eddie pushed his way through them, coming to kneel at her side. "Are you okay?" he demanded, full of concern for her before glaring at the others.

"Let her rest for a moment. She needs to tune her mind and body to the world around her," the leader snapped and Bonnie offered up as reassuring a smile as she could give to Eddie who looked ready to throttle the other woman. It was quite something to see on the usually timid college freshman.

Bonnie did as instructed, internally calling out to the spirits, trying to feel the nature that was all around them as she'd been able to do before. There was nothing at first and panic started to set it. What if cleansing her had stripped her of everything? What if she couldn't help at all any longer? What was the point of her existence then? What would happen to her friends?

The smallest tingle started down in her toes before quickly spreading through her. This time it didn't hurt, instead it filled her with a joy she hadn't experienced since those first few days of witchcraft. Back when it had been floating feathers and lighting candles. It filled her and she smiled, finally feeling like herself again.  _Whole_.

"I see it worked then," the leader remarked, helping Bonnie to her feet.

"You're okay?" Eddie asked, needing reassurance to that.

"Better than okay," Bonnie promised, thankful that he seemed to let go of some of his tension at her answer.

"I wish I could give you time to rest and get used to having magic at your disposal again," the leader told her, motioning toward where the rest of the Coven had started to walk. "But there is much you need to learn, both of you, and not enough time."

"We'll be there in a minute," Bonnie replied, glancing over at Eddie who still was too tense for her liking. Plus her mother was over there on the outskirts of the group, glancing her way, and Bonnie didn't want Eddie to accidentally kill the woman. She also didn't really want to speak to her either or well, part of her did, but she didn't quite want to really face her either.

Not after the way she had left.

"I really am good," Bonnie told Eddie once they were alone. "Valerie won't be able to get a lock on me like before. I'm not using the same magic that she is so I won't be of use to her like I was. I'll be able to help you stop Silas from rising." Be able to help insure that all of the others would be safe as well. This was a good thing. It had to be.

"It looked like they were killing you," Eddie replied, raking a hand through his hair. His hands were shaking. "You're the only one I know in this Bonnie. The only one who's been straight with me. I'm still wrapping my head around it all."

She clasped his hand in hers. "I am not going anywhere. We will get through this all together and I am going to help you with what's happening to you." Like she had Jeremy before he'd been killed.

A car pulled into where the others were parked, causing the two of them as well as the Coven to glance over at it. Everyone was on high alert, waiting to assess the threat level. Bonnie's jaw nearly dropped at the sight of the woman who stepped out of the car.

"Hey, cuz," Lucy called out and Bonnie didn't hesitate, heading over to her.

She had waited and waited to hear from this girl again, to learn more about their heritage and maybe she should have been furious with her, but it was just really nice to see a familiar face. "Where have you been?" Bonnie demanded, not bothering to look over as her passenger got out of the car, her focus on her cousin.

"It's a long story that I will fill you in on—" Lucy never got to finish as Eddie leaped at the passenger, in full-blown Hunter mode, and ready to drive a stake through a heart. "Shit."

Eddie was thrown back into the air, landing with a thump on the ground. "Looks like the Bennett witch also found us a Hunter," came the voice from the ground and Bonnie readied herself to use magic on the vampire that was rising from the ground. "That certainly makes this all a lot easier."

Kol Mikaelson.

She hadn't really met him yet, but she knew who he was, and from what Elena had told her, he wasn't exactly the best Mikaelson to have around. Bonnie raised a hand ready to send him flying back, but Lucy gently grasped her hand.

"He's on our side. The spirits want us all working together. It's the only way to end Silas once and for all," Lucy told her and Bonnie looked incredulously at her cousin and then at Kol who simply grinned at her, wagging his eyebrows for extra measure.

Oh this was going to be such a headache.

 


	17. Chapter 17

_I sit in the dark. And it would be hard to figure out_ _  
_ _which is worse; the dark inside, or the darkness out_.—by Joseph Brodsky

* * *

Klaus had come to know the nuances of Caroline Forbes over his time in Mystic Falls. She had intrigued him ever since he'd stepped foot into the biology lab and found the girl trying to comfort Tyler. She had been beautiful but it was hardly what caught his eye. He'd met countless beautiful women over the centuries and while he had come to find her beauty to be memorizing later on, it was the compassion she'd shown Tyler that had peeked his interest.

He'd known as soon as he entered that she was a vampire and yet there she was openly trying to comfort the young werewolf, no fear at all in regards to her proximity to Tyler. No, her fear had only come into play when he'd offered Tyler the vial of blood. Even then she had tried to fight for the boy, struggling in Rebekah's grasp, trying to be there for him. Klaus had taken note of her inner strength then, of her loyalty, a trait he coveted more than any other, something he still craved to obtain from her.

He had put her out of his head after that for a bit, wanting to create more hybrids once he had obtained the key ingredient, but it had been difficult to drive her completely from it. He overheard far too many conversations between the two young lovers while Tyler chatted to her on his cell or about her from Rebekah whenever he called back to check in on how everything was going in Mystic Falls.

Klaus had watched and waited for an opportunity to meet Caroline face to face with no interruptions and had eagerly taken it once Stefan's vendetta had grown beyond his patience. One fateful conversation in her bedroom and Klaus's fascination had grown into something he couldn't dismiss.

He knew her mannerisms for anger, happiness, sadness, joy, worry, the entire gamut and while a great deal of them tried his patience, he enjoyed the fact that he could pick out the turning of her moods with them. Though the fact that she could surprise him, react the opposite of how he was used to women responding, was both a thrill and an annoyance.

She was currently angry with him, trying to exert her independence, to prove that he didn't get a say in what she did and he couldn't quite blame her for that, knew he was probably pushing her a little too far a little too quickly, but she didn't have the luxury of the timetable she no doubt had established in her head for coming into her vampirism. She had probably expected to take the next decade masquerading as a human, holding onto those trivialities for the sake of her mother and her friends, but considering what they were up against, Klaus knew she wouldn't be able to do that.

Caroline Forbes had mastered certain aspects of being a vampire fairly quickly. Her control was something he'd never seen before in one so young, but she failed at it in a very big way. She needed to realize that she was a vampire and all that entailed.

No, it didn't mean she had to go out massacring entire villages, or compelling every person in sight, but it did mean accepting that she was no longer human, that her new basic instincts were not evil but necessary for her survival, and that her moral compass was going to become skewed. Klaus knew she was already starting to see that, calling herself a monster, killing the witches to protect her mother, but he also saw each and every time she pulled back from it. When she fought off her urges instead of giving into them time and again, not quite ready to fully commit. She needed to embrace them so she could master them because no matter how finely tuned her control might have been it would matter little if she went without blood long enough to snap.

And she was a baby vampire, not even two years old, so Klaus knew that snapping was inevitable. He simply meant to be there when it happened if he couldn't get her to understand that he was truly trying to help her.

He'd seen countless young vampires go crazy, unable to handle what they had become, and while he usually found those ones to be amusing for a time, riling them up and watching them crash and burn before they met a swift end, he meant for Caroline to live for an eternity. It would be difficult for that to happen if she was unable to truly accept what she had become.

Klaus knew she could cope with the harsh circumstances life threw at everyone, had seen firsthand how strong the girl's inner will was, heard enough about the tortures she'd endured prior to Alaric to know she could bounce back if she wanted to, but this stifling of who she had become would do her no favors in the long run.

If she was to be at his side—which she  _would be_ , he'd make certain of it—then she couldn't be weak. She needed to be able to defend against attacks, to hold her own, and Klaus would do everything in his power to ensure that she would be able to do so. He knew she'd be magnificent once she gave in, once she allowed herself to truly let go, realized what she had become and embraced her vampirism. He would not stop until Caroline did so.

"I believe this one was built in the 1300s," Klaus told her as they strode through the fortified church, watching Caroline look around.

As angry as Caroline was with him, as much as she was trying to ignore him and everything about him, he saw her glimpses of interest. A gaze lingering a bit longer here or there, fingers nearly reaching out to touch the altar in front of them before she forced her hands at her sides, trying to maintain an air of indifference. Her fingers flexed and he watched from the corner of his eye as she pressed her lips together, trying to stifle the need to speak, to simply let the silence continue on between them.

Klaus knew he didn't need to say anything more. Caroline could only allow silence for so long before she had to fill it up, even if it was to offer a clipped statement about her displeasure. There was nothing for her to find fault with in the church though, aside from his company, but she seemed like she was itching to ask him something about where they were.

That biting of her lip, the glance at the intricately painted details of the church that surrounded them before looking at him and then back at the work, sighing heavily and Klaus tried not to grin, waiting for her to speak.

She looked absolutely delectable with her put upon expression and the swing of her curls as she glanced his way.

" _Ich bin_  is German isn't it?" she asked, nodding toward the calligraphy on the wall to the side of them.

Klaus glanced over at it. "Siehe ich bin bei euch alle tage bis an der well ende," he read off, unable to hide his amusement at the rolling of her eyes at his perfected German accent. "Behold, I am with you always, to the very end. I believe this portion of the countryside was under Saxon control for many years."

"Saxons got big after Rome was losing its luster, right?" Caroline frowned, lips twisting as she no doubt considered her next question, not giving him a chance to answer the first one. "Does it ever all bleed into one? All of that history. Everything ever that you've experienced, just one thing to the next, never really ending, always changing. Even like this—" She swept a hand toward the altar. "It's all pieces of different things, brought about by conquest and change. Is anything here from the actual beginnings? Or has it all been altered too much to really see what was once there?"

"I've found it often depends on the memories I hold of a place. There are some that I can revisit and see what was once their transposed on what is there now." Mystic Falls had been such a place. So much had happened to him and his family that it had been difficult not to see certain images of the past.

Especially the spot where Henrik had died. That one would always be burned into his mind, no matter what might be built on top of it.

"But a dwelling here or there. A building that I glimpsed at one point while traveling through the country has little meaning to me," he continued, motioning around the room. "I've been in a great number just like this one with different languages on the walls, scattered throughout Europe."

He could see the worry in her eyes, noted the way she bit her lower lip, and couldn't help but wonder what was going on inside of her head, what was causing her such great concern. "Change is part of life, Caroline. Adapting, expanding, altering is all part of the world. Humans remain the same at their very core, striving for betterment of themselves and those they deem worthy enough—"

"Or for those they love. Or their family," she butted in, and he arched a brow at that.

"I believe those would often be encompassed in the phrase 'worthy enough', love," he countered, and she shrugged before nodding for him to continue. "They often want better than the last generation and so everything is continuously evolving. Visit one place and come back a decade later and you might see a great many changes but then there will be places like here, like the village we are staying in where change is more gradual."

She nodded, glancing back at the altar again, still looking entirely too troubled for his tastes. "You are correct though that it is often difficult to see the true beginnings of any one place. Usually they are buried beneath whatever came after them. You can often glimpse pieces if you know where to look."

"If I come back here in a century…it could all be gone. All of it. A new city sprouting up in its place like this was never here before. The people just distant memories or not even memories at all. Just gone," Caroline replied and Klaus did not like the sadness he heard in her voice, realization slowly dawning on him as to what she was really talking about.

"There are certain places and people you will never forget, Caroline. No matter how much time has passed they will be ingrained into your head. It won't happen for everyone. There will be many that will easily fall to the wayside, never to be thought of again, but there are those who are irrevocably seared into your mind," Klaus told her, and she looked at him again.

He did not like speaking like this, opening himself in ways that he hadn't done to anyone in the last thousand years. Not quite as he was now. "I don't mean like Mikael," she murmured, sighing a little as she tucked a strand of hair behind her ear.

"Nor do I," Klaus replied, and that seemed to give her pause, for her to look at him and Klaus wondered how someone so young could seem to be looking into the very heart of him with such ease.

Experience told him to lash out, to draw back and hide the weakness so plainly exposed to her, but he could not bring himself to do so. He knew who Caroline was thinking of and had little doubt that the Salvatores and even the doppelganger were nowhere on her mind in that moment. This was all about her mother and her worry that she would forget the woman. He had never forgotten his youngest sibling, no matter how many times he had tried to over the years. He had never been able to let go of the guilt for Henrik's death, to forget that boy's laughter, or how his breath had come out in harsh wheezes as he died in his arms.

"You won't forget your mother, Caroline," Klaus told her, watching her inhale a shaky breath, hands trembling before she forced her body to get a grip. "You won't think of her every waking moment." Or even every year, but perhaps that was a bit too much to tell her then and there. "But you will not forget her."

He saw her open her mouth to speak, but he also saw another head into the church, the same man he'd seen a few times already during their stay in the Transylvanian country side. Twice was a coincidence, more than that and he knew they were being followed. Most likely by one of Vincent's people but Klaus thought it was about time to let his old friend know that his patience was wearing thin.

"One moment, sweetheart," he murmured to Caroline, bemused by her confusion for a moment before he was upon the other man, slamming him back against the old church wall, feet trying to reach the ground. "I don't appreciate being followed."

"Front. Pocket," the man wheezed out in Romanian, words barely understandable, and the fear coming off of him in waves. He wondered how it would taste in the man's blood, how much sweeter it would be, and Klaus flashed him a toothy grin, pleased as the fear spiked.

"Klaus," Caroline admonished from behind him but all that did was widen his grin. He could picture her crossed arms, that glare of annoyance, and it only spurned him on.

"Vincent," the man continued, and Klaus sighed, reaching into the man's jacket, arching a brow as he pulled out an envelope.

Klaus released his hold on the man, letting him fall to the ground, barely registering the man's mutterings as he turned the envelope over in his hands, smiling at the sight of Vincent's insignia stamped on the back before turning it back over to trace his fingers along the elegantly scripted  _Klaus_. There was something soothing about seeing the old ways still in use.

"What? No dead body as our invitation?" Caroline asked, glancing at the envelope, and Klaus smirked, looking up at her and found that her attempt to look completely disinterested in the envelope in his hands rather amusing. She didn't last long though and was at his side in seconds, nodding toward it. "It's not going to open itself!"

He wondered if she had ripped open the invitation he'd left with her dress in front of her door for the ball. Or if she'd let her fingers linger over her name, arched a brow at the insignia stamped on the back, as she was currently doing to the one he held. Klaus slowly unfurled the envelope, noting the anticipation that seemed to come off Caroline in waves.

Her reaction once she saw what was inside was particularly priceless. She snatched the invitation out of his hands, reading what he knew the contents would say and then offered up her most annoyed look for him. Meanwhile Klaus simply grinned at her, admiring the fire she held within. "Okay, so you went out and killed a whole bunch of people—" she started.

"Three," Klaus countered. Perhaps it had been four. Oh well. That was hardly a bunch.

" _Whatever_. And all we get in return is an invite to dinner?" she demanded, reading over the invite again. "Was that seriously necessary?"

"Vincent is not a very trusting for particularly good reasons. I doubt he knows of Mikael's death yet and considering Mikael had tried to kill him before, he's apt to be even more careful if word gets out that I'm in the area," Klaus informed her, and looked toward the man who was still waiting around, no doubt expecting an answer to the invitation. "I had to leave him my signature."

"I do not even want to know what that means," Caroline muttered, and glanced over at the man as well. "Uh…you don't have to leave it on him as well, do you?"

"No," Klaus replied, though he did enjoy the man's spike in fear. Seemed the messenger understood at least some English. "Let Vincent know it'll be me and a guest this evening."

The man simply nodded and then hurried away as fast as his legs could carry him. "I think we've had enough of churches for the day. We need to get you a dress for the evening," Klaus informed her, watching as her eyes lit up at the prospect of shopping before she suddenly shut it away, her guard rising again.

He wondered if they would ever stop this damn tug of war that was constantly happening between them, uncertain if he ever wanted it to happen. "Or we could go get a  _bite_  to eat," he suggested, hands clasped behind his back as he laid out her options.

" _Fine_ ," Caroline muttered, that delightful anger flashing again, and he arched a brow, wondering which she was picking. Either worked in his favor. "Guess we're going shopping."

Klaus watched her head out of the church, admiring the bounce of her hair as she strode past him, air of defiance drifting off of her. No, he definitely didn't mind the tug of war with Caroline, though he wouldn't mind getting to the point where she finally succumbed to him. He didn't expect it'd be too much longer. The girl was practically fraying at the seams, a few more well placed tugs, and she'd come apart, ready to be molded into the fierce vampire he knew she could be.

* * *

Waiting for the two groups he'd sent out to come back with any news was nerve-racking. He'd sent them out, knowing full well that they might come up against vampires, that they might run across the Originals. That would always be a possibility until he was able to end Klaus' life, maybe end the rest of that damn family's as well. But it was a necessary chance to take. There would be no cure if they didn't find a Hunter and without the cure Klaus couldn't be as easily killed. One white oak stake still left in the world and the chances of actually being able to find that weren't that great. Chances of shoving a cure down Klaus' throat weren't good either but if Tyler could get the cure then he could at least save himself and Caroline, fix it so the two of them wouldn't die if Klaus was staked.

Tyler didn't show how tense he was around the others though. He knew they were looking to him for guidance, that they saw him as their new alpha. He hadn't expected it but maybe he should have considering how everything had gone down with the other hybrids before their deaths. Whatever unease they might have held for his vampire state had quickly dissipated though, especially once he explained how he would be taking the cure as well, how he didn't want the supposed gift that Klaus had forced down his throat.

He wanted what he saw happening around him. The camaraderie between the wolves, the bond of the pack that had them sticking together above all. He wanted this family, he  _needed_  it. His mother and father were dead and the wolves were all he had left.

And Caroline.

He still had her and he'd get her the cure as well. Then the two of them could live their lifetime, make their own family, and another generation of Lockwoods would be able to roam the earth. He could almost picture her swollen with their child, happily smiling as she painted the nursery. She'd be human but that would be okay, there were other humans around the camp now, people who were family to the wolves—lovers, husbands, wives, children. She wouldn't be a wolf but she would belong. He'd make certain of that.

Tyler strode through the camp, making note of the meager supplies, of how they all lived out of tents or RVs. He'd done it with Jules for a few months but he wanted more than that for his people. Why did they need to live like this when the Salvatores and the Mikaelsons lives in mansions? When he'd lived in one?

When all was said and done he'd make certain to work on building them an actual community. Somewhere up north with plenty of land where they could build homes and stop a life of endless wandering. The sun and moon curse was a lie and if all went as planned, vampires wouldn't be a threat anymore. It'd be them and the witches, two groups who hadn't really bothered one another if what the others told him was correct.

"They've found him," Jules told him, breaking Tyler out of his thoughts and he tensed, not liking when her and Mason showed up when he was around the others.

He couldn't reply back to them. No one else was able to see them and the last thing Tyler wanted was for the wolves to question his sanity, even if he had begun to do so. "A Hunter. They've found one and they're on their way back here," Jules continued and Tyler simply stretched his neck, listening to her speak. "You'll need to help him find more vampires to kill in order to complete the mark, Tyler. I'm sure you and your wolves will be able to sniff out some in the nearby cities."

Tyler couldn't help but frown at that, remembering how he'd almost died at the hands of Connor because of being a hybrid. Could he really condemn people he didn't even know to such a fate?

"They're not human, Tyler," Jules reminded him, and his frown only deepened as he wondered if she was able to see inside his head, to hear his thoughts. She was gone though when he turned around to look at her, seeing only the nearby wolves hanging up clothes to dry.

Tyler knew she was right. Vampires weren't human. They needed human blood to survive and hadn't Damon easily killed Mason? Who even knew how many that guy had killed over the years? And what about Stefan? He'd heard vague murmurings about that one's past. Even Caroline had killed once. He'd nearly done it himself while hanging out with Rebekah in the early days.

Killing vampires meant they'd get the cure and he'd prevent Klaus from destroying anymore families and that was the important part. If a good chunk of the vampire population died in the process Tyler would live with that. At least it meant they weren't going around feeding and potentially killing more families all by themselves. They weren't innocent victims, not in the end.

Why else would there have even been a Founder's Council in Mystic Falls? Why would they have worked so hard to protect the town from vampires, sharing the secret of those creatures for generations even if it had been years since a vampire had been seen in the town? Maybe there were a few good ones, like Caroline was, but in the end at the heart of them they were still killing machines who needed to hurt others in order to survive.

He wouldn't mourn any of their deaths. It was a necessary evil. One that he could live with for the rest of his days.

Tyler looked around, spotting those who had become his right hands in the last few weeks. These were the ones he trusted not to be too hotheaded, who would use reason while performing tasks, who wouldn't let their hatred of vampires blind them to everything else that was happening.

"The Hunter is on his way," Tyler informed them as he headed over to where the group was, watching them all rise from their seats.

"What do you need us to do?"

"We need to locate where the vampires are in a hundred mile radius. Don't touch them. Don't alert them to our presence. We're just finding them and when the Hunter gets here we'll let him kill them. And then we'll be one step closer to eliminating their kind from the world," Tyler informed them, smiling right along with them at the idea.

It would be a breath of fresh air to live in a world without the threat of Klaus Mikaelson forever over his shoulder, where he'd never have to worry about that monster destroying more lives. No sacrifice was too great to make that happen in Tyler's mind. Any lives lost meant more would live in the long run and that was what he would cling to in order to do everything he needed in order to destroy Klaus.

* * *

Caroline glanced around the foyer to the large estate they had eventually headed to in the early evening hours. Klaus had told her that at one point it had been a fortified church as well, but that Vincent had acquired it years ago and altered it to his own tastes. There was a mix of the old and new, something she was beginning to see happened a lot with older supernaturals. They seemed to take comfort in the old world things they'd collected, to enjoy memories from them all the while relishing in the modern day conveniences they also used. Not that she could blame them. Going without Wi-Fi or a hot shower would have been a pretty big deal breaker for her too.

There was a painting hanging up in the entryway that she was certain she'd seen in one of her history books and was supposed to be in a museum. Wouldn't surprise her at all if it was the original, especially since Klaus seemed to take paintings from museums for his own amusement as well. Like sire like son? Was that even a thing?

Caroline was the furthest thing from Damon who had accidentally sired her, but maybe others were more similar to the vampire who created them. "One day I will know what goes on inside of this head of yours," Klaus murmured against the shell of her ear and Caroline nearly jumped out of her own skin, not having realized he was even that close. His hand on her hip to steady her wasn't helping either, especially because she could feel his arm vibrating slightly from his silent laughter.

"You wish," she muttered, stepping away from him and toward the display, needing distance.

"I do," Klaus replied, and she glanced back at him, swallowing at the honesty she saw there.

Thankfully Vincent chose to make his appearance then. He was young, older than she'd been when she'd turned, but younger than Klaus. Well, they were all younger than Klaus, but in regular old human years she'd wager he was younger than the Hybrid had been when turned. He smiled when he spotted Klaus and headed over to him, clasping Klaus' hands as he knelt in front of him, head bowing which caused his bangs to fall in front of his face.

"My lord," Vincent murmured, and Caroline was taken aback by the reverence in his tone, and by the entire display.

She'd seen the hybrids with their loyalty to Klaus but most people she'd seen interact with him had never behaved in this way toward him, as though he was some kind of king or god. It was unsettling and Caroline didn't know how to react to it, wondered if this was common for those who actually knew what he looked like.

"It's good to see you again, old friend," Klaus told him, waving for the man to rise. "I'd like to introduce my companion—" Oh he was so lucky she didn't scoff at that though she did narrow her eyes a little before putting on a bright smile. "—Caroline Forbes. I expect her to be extended the same honor that I would be."

Vincent turned to her, bowing slightly to her as well though she was thankful he didn't try to kiss her hand or anything else. "It's nice to meet you," she told him, and glanced toward the painting. "I see you take after Klaus with the procuring items that interest you for your own pleasure."

"Considering I was there when Rembrandt painted it I feel he would rather I enjoy it instead of letting it hang around a museum," Vincent replied, and she arched a brow at that.

"Where it could be enjoyed by hundreds of thousands of people instead? I dunno," she quirked her lips, filing away that piece of information about him knowing the painter.

Vincent laughed, and it reminded her for a moment of Matt, of that carefree laugh he could have when he'd really been enjoying something. A sound she was never going to hear again. "Come, I've had dinner prepared and we can discuss what it is that you need from me," Vincent told them, gesturing for them to follow him.

"Now why do you think I'm here for something? Can't I just be checking in on one of my favorites?" Klaus inquired no malice in his teasing tone. He was simply having a joke with the other vampire and Caroline smiled at that, liking the playfulness. She hadn't really seen him like that with anyone aside from her.

"You wouldn't risk Mikael finding me again," Vincent pointed out as he stopped in front of a doorway, a darkness clouding his eyes for a moment and Caroline had a feeling that he was remembering a previous encounter.

Klaus stepped forward, clapping the vampire's shoulders. "Ah, I see word hasn't quite reached this far east. Mikael is dead by my own hand," Klaus informed him, the joy in that statement seeming to reverberate around them. "It was quite the party, wouldn't you say, Caroline?"

"Wouldn't know. I was vervained and tucked away so I wouldn't get hurt," she reminded, remembering when Tyler had knocked her out.

"Ah yes," Klaus murmured, all smiles and charm and she really wanted to smack him. "It would have been a shame if that dress you were wearing had been ruined."

She pursed her lips, not having realized Klaus had even noticed her back then before glancing over at Vincent who was looking at her again. It was different than the cursory glance from before. He was assessing her now, and she could almost see the questions in his head, no doubt wondering how she'd caught the Hybrid's eye. Though he'd done it at some point as well, so maybe he was trying to see any similarities there might have been in them. Hair color was out of the question considering the other vampire was a brunette, but Caroline really didn't want the question answered any way.

Vincent's smile wasn't pleasant like it had been before; it was twisted and dark and reminded Caroline of how dangerous someone so much older than her could be. But there was joy in it, a corrupted joy that worried her. Would her smiles become like that in a few centuries? Did everything become so much darker and more violent than it had once been?

"Then I believe a celebration is in order," Vincent replied, before clapping his hands.

A handful of men and women were in the hallway almost immediately, all looking to Vincent for orders. "Are you in the mood for any type in particular tonight? I am running low on brunettes," Vincent continued and Caroline felt like the wind had been knocked out of her as she realized what he was asking Klaus.

She took a step back, not wanting any further part in what was going to happen. Surely Klaus didn't expect her to watch them feed from others, he seriously better not have expected her to join in. Klaus caught her arm before she could get further than a step away. His grip wasn't painful, he even brushed his thumb against her arm and Caroline could have sworn he was trying to soothe her fears.

"Not necessary for now, mate," Klaus told him, ignoring the arched brow at that statement but Caroline eased up a bit when Vincent waved the help off before nodding for them to enter the dining room. She felt even more tension leave her when she found that there was actual food on the table to be eaten.

Klaus released his hold on her once it seemed she would no longer try to bolt and Caroline shivered as his hand ran up her bare arm and over her shoulder before settling on the small her back as he led her into the room and held out a chair for her. She wasn't surprised at all that she was being seated at his side. Vincent sat at the other end of the table watching the two of them.

"I am curious, how did you come to meet Klaus, Caroline?" Vincent asked as a woman entered and poured wine into their glasses.

"Officially met would be after he nearly had me killed," she replied, not really caring how Klaus tensed at her choice in their meeting. "Though technically we were in the same room together during one of his little experiments." And of course there was the whole she'd been the vampire initially chosen for the sacrifice but she hadn't actually met him face to face at that point.

"Nearly? I don't think I've ever known Klaus to ever  _nearly_  do anything," Vincent replied, swirling the wine in his glass. "If he'd wanted you dead then you would've been dead."

"It helped him get what he wanted to save my life instead," she murmured, vaguely remembering her mother saying she'd stand with him or something before he'd been invited in. She'd been in so much pain and the hallucinations had really started to take hold that she could never be sure if she'd heard that part correctly.

"Hardly," Klaus stated, and she glanced over at him, trying not to react to the intensity in his gaze as he looked at her. "I'm still working hard to get what I want."

She rolled her eyes at that, needing to distance herself from his words and gaze, and turned her attention toward Vincent again. "So why'd he turn you?"

Vincent grinned, and Caroline was thankful to see it was a nice one again, one that could almost lead her into a false sense of security if she didn't know any better. "I was in Venice at the time," Klaus told her, and Caroline nodded, still not looking his way as plates with bowls of soup in the middle were set down in front of them. "Compelling his father who was a wealthy merchant and this one liked to trade for various objects from some of the local trade ships. Objects that his family and others believed to be useless but Vincent could see certain supernatural qualities in them that no one else seemed to realize were even there."

She didn't have a clue what that meant and her expression must have given that away. "I'm talking about pieces of jewelry, scraps of paper, books, and other materials that had spells or enchantments placed on them. It's a rare gift but a good one to cultivate properly when found," Klaus continued, and she had a feeling Klaus meant cultivate for  _his_  use. "Quite useful in the long run as well. And something that didn't go away when I turned him after his entire household fell ill, dropping like flies in their rooms."

Caroline glanced over at Vincent, wanting to see the reaction to his family's apparent deaths, but there was no emotion there, only the other vampire drinking some wine. "Witches need a number of objects for certain spells," Klaus told her and she looked back at him. "Family heirlooms or objects that have been spelled by another witch and therefore hold some of her energy inside that they can utilize to boost their own power. Vincent is able to sense that power. It's a rare gift. I've only met a handful of humans through the ages who could do so—usually of a witch line though not burdened with actual witchcraft. It's not magic so it's not severed once they die and are reborn as something infinitely better, stronger."

"It's what I've done through the centuries. I'm always finding various objects that can be useful in one way or the other. Reading grimoires and histories that different covens have left behind when they've fled one place or another," Vincent informed them. He turned his attention to Caroline. "It puts me in a perfect position with a number of witches. I'm sure by now you know that they're not usually big fans of ours." He glanced at her hands. "Though you've managed to get two to provide you with powerful spells in your rings for someone so young."

"I'm just lucky like that," she murmured, taking a sip of her wine as she tried not to show how vulnerable she was feeling under his gaze. Caroline knew Klaus wouldn't allow anything to happen to her and neither would she allow it. She was so done with being the victim.

"Witches or I suppose I should say those drawn to dark magic, usually end up finding me for one reason or another. After they complete a service for me—usually in up keeping the boundary spell around my house for a few years—I allow them to take what it is that they want from my collection. Within reason," Vincent continued, and Caroline frowned at that, wondering how much damage such an arrangement would have caused throughout the years. "There are always a few who try to simply take without giving but entering my vault without a proper invitation results in death. Had a witch who fancied me centuries back put that into place on the cavern where I hold all that I've acquired."

"I always did like that spell," Klaus stated, raising his glass. "Their screams as they burst into flames were always highly amusing."

Caroline didn't laugh along with the two, focusing her attention on eating some of the soup instead.

"I have a number of witches currently in my employ if you need to satisfy a craving or two," Vincent offered before taking a drink of his wine. "There's one in particular that I think you'd like. Fairly submissive and extremely flexible."

Caroline tried to ignore the annoying ball of jealousy she could feel stirring inside of her stomach, tried to squash it into a bug and realized that instead she was mangling her spoon. She tucked it underneath the bowl, hoping neither of them had noticed saw Klaus watching her and she focused on pushing her hair back, on the half-eaten soup, anything so she could avoid seeing whatever emotion was on his face.

"That won't be necessary," Klaus told him, his tone sounding entirely too bemused for her taste and she looked over at him, so ready to tell him to go ahead because he wasn't satisfying any _cravings_  any other way, but her voice caught in her throat at the almost tender look he was directing at her before he offered up his soup spoon for her to use.

Caroline shook her head and focused her attention back on Vincent who was curiously watching the two of them. "I apologize," Vincent started. "I did not realize…" He let his voice trail off and raised his glass to her, bowing his head like he did when addressing Klaus and Caroline didn't like that. She didn't want to be treated in the same manner as he treated Klaus. She  _wasn't with Klaus_.

"But to continue on with what I was saying, the witch who fancied me was actually the one that led me to the witch line I turned Kol toward. The one he followed for nearly two centuries all those years back. I guided him in the right way," Vincent nodded toward the woman standing in the shadows who headed over to him, refilling his glass. "Toward the ones who knew of the Silas myth and would help him see the horrors that could arise if Silas was allowed to awaken."

Caroline froze at that. They hadn't even mentioned Silas or Kol. For all Vincent knew Kol should have been still daggered in a box. She could feel Klaus tense beside her as well. "That is why you're here," Vincent told them, setting down his glass. "To finally put a stop to Silas. I wondered how long it would take for all of the variables to be put into place."

"Explain, Vincent. I would so hate to hate to leave you on this table with your entrails spread out for your help to find," Klaus replied, the fury in his voice startling even Caroline. "You know I hate not being informed."

"It was not time for you to know," Vincent replied, seemingly unshaken by Klaus' threat. Though Caroline did notice the slight tremble of the vampire's hands as he leaned back in his chair. "Mikael needed to be dead, you needed to have broken your curse—which I am guessing has happened? A Bennett witch to rival Qestiyah needed to be born and there hadn't been one of those in centuries. I had thought it was going to happen when you found the first doppelganger but we both know how well that one went."

Caroline bit her lip, wondering if Vincent knew how little he was helping his situation as he continued to speak. She swore that she could feel Klaus' anger rising, that any second he would be leaping across the table to rip out the man's tongue and they needed him alive so they could get the bones. She reached over and placed a hand on Klaus' arm, squeezing gently. She hadn't been sure it would do any good, that he wouldn't rip his arm away and turn his anger onto her, but she had to try something to calm him down. It didn't sound like Vincent was going against them, just that he hadn't been as forthcoming as Klaus would have liked over the years.

Thankfully Klaus simply placed his hand on top of hers and Caroline could sense the anger receding a little, even if the Hybrid was still glaring at the other vampire. "I did not mean any disrespect, my lord," Vincent finally said, realizing the bind he was in, and bowed his head. "I have what you need. I also have a Bennett grimoire. There are very few of them in existence but this one went with the part of the family that headed toward Haiti instead of north into Salem. I believe you may need it as well."

"How is it that I am only now learning of Silas being such a threat? Why did you not keep me in the loop over the years when obviously you've known of this for some time?" Klaus demanded, that rage rising again, and Caroline squeezed his arm as she tried to decipher the best move to make.

"I did not think much of what all I was reading at first. I thought it a mere children's tale, one that had been passed around and altered, just as Cinderella is nowadays. But it was in every grimoire I found, told in a number of ways, but the basics were always there. At first I said nothing because there was nothing to say. Only scraps that I picked up through the years," Vincent explained. "Eventually I put it all together and have waited for all the factors to come into play."

"And once you had figured it out, why did you not inform me?" Klaus asked his voice hard and demanding.

"Would you have cared at that point about any of it? When you were staying two steps ahead of Mikael and searching for a way to break your curse? Was that not your priority?" Vincent swallowed, head bowed again.

Klaus pressed his lips together, unable to deny the truth to those words and Caroline knew it as well. He wouldn't have paid attention to some myth when his focus was so singularly cut. "Let us eat and you can start your penance by telling us every little detail that you've learned over the years about our current predicament," Klaus released his hold on Caroline's hand and picked up his wine glass. "But know this, Vincent; if you ever keep me in the dark again I will make your death last years."

Caroline shivered at that, the adamant nature of his voice leading her to believe every word of it. He'd chased Katherine for centuries, she didn't doubt for a second Klaus would draw out a death to last for a while as well. It made her think of Tyler and what life he was going to live, always looking over his shoulder.

She couldn't think of him now though, she needed to listen to what Vincent had to say so she'd be just as informed as Klaus, because he couldn't hold all of the cards. She wouldn't let him.

* * *

The entire drive to the airport, during the flight, and even while heading to the hotel that Elijah and Katherine were currently staying at, Stefan had tried to calm Rebekah down. It had been a valiant effort, he even thought he'd succeeded a time or two, but something always seemed to set her off on a tirade about her brother and he could swear that he was going to have the world's worst headache before it was all over.

It was a nice respite from the constant worrying he was doing though. Focusing on keeping Rebekah calm meant he didn't wonder why his brother wasn't answering any of his phone calls, it stopped him from worrying about Elena and where she was, or Caroline…he was worried the most about her. She was with Klaus and Stefan knew the Hybrid would use the time alone with her to try and…he wasn't even sure what to call it? Win her over? Seduce her? All Stefan knew was that Klaus wanted Caroline and considering the Hybrid hadn't given up in a thousand years at breaking his curse, he had a feeling Klaus wasn't going to give up on having his friend.

How was he supposed to protect her from that? He hadn't even been able to protect her from his brother back at the start, but he'd made a vow to himself when she'd transitioned that he would help her and while he'd faltered on that on more than one occasion he did care for Caroline. He didn't want her caught up in the insanity that was Klaus Mikaelson. Stefan didn't have a clue either how to set her free from the Hybrid either, had a feeling that was going to be entirely up to Caroline somehow.

But his worries didn't matter at the moment and he wished he'd been paying a little more attention to Rebekah's mood swing as they entered the hotel lobby. Thankfully she didn't use her speed when she spotted Elijah, but her fury was easily recognized as she headed straight toward him and Katherine.

Stefan tried not to grin at the sight of a scared Katherine Pierce. After all the chaos and destruction that woman had infused in his life he couldn't help but be a little amused to see her take a step behind Elijah, even if she did have on a rather good stoic game face.

Stefan strode over to them, shaking his head as he came to stand beside Rebekah. "Where is it?" she demanded, sounding and looking every inch like a petulant child who had been denied some favorite toy.

It was amazing how she could be this strong, independent woman away from her brothers, but once there with them seemed to become switch to the role of the spoiled younger sibling they all deemed her to be. One thousand years and each of the Mikaelsons were clearly locked into the role they had taken up centuries before. "It's perfectly safe, Rebekah," Elijah started, stoic as ever, but Rebekah didn't seem to be having any of it.

"That's not what I asked. Where is it?" she demanded, and Stefan arched a brow, wondering if she'd start stamping her foot soon. "Why do you even want it?"

"I want Katerina's freedom," Elijah started, and Stefan inwardly groaned at that as he looked over at the woman in question. She was practically preening at the words and Stefan knew this wouldn't end well. "She's been on the run long enough and it is time for Niklaus to let her go. We will get the cure and trade it in for her life."

"He doesn't want the cure, you idiot," Rebekah replied, her venomous tone taking even Stefan by surprise. "It's far bigger than that and perhaps if you'd bothered speaking with your family instead of entertaining that harlot in your bed you'd know what is really happening."

Katherine looked ready to say something in reply but Elijah held up a hand, silencing her. "Perhaps if you stopped with the theatrics and explained it to us we would be better informed, sister."

Stefan knew that reply wasn't going to help, not when Rebekah was already tightly wound. He didn't expect her to huff and storm off, leaving him alone with her brother and Katherine. He probably should have expected it considering her current state of mind. He knew she was having doubts, had seen them a few times in her expression and body language when the word cure was spoken.

"She'll be back," Stefan stated before looking back at the other two. "I can fill you in on all of the details while she…cools off."

"By all means, we can speak out on the back patio," Elijah motioned toward the doors that led outside and Stefan nodded, letting the two of them go first.

He grimaced at Katherine who looked over her shoulder at him, her expression a mix of amusement and danger. He knew that look. It was her 'don't screw this up for me' look. Never a good one because in the end Katherine Pierce was always a survivor and Stefan knew she would have no issue ruining everything if it meant she got her way. No matter who got hurt in the crossfire.

* * *

The remainder of dinner with Vincent didn't reveal any further surprise information and Klaus wondered if the other vampire knew how grateful he should be for Caroline's presence. Without her there he wasn't sure he wouldn't have already spilled blood, ripped out the boy's tongue and killed every other living being in the household. Vincent had always been loyal, more so than any of the others he had personally turned over the centuries, and the mere thought of him having withheld information, of  _betraying_ him even if he did understand  _why_  the vampire had done so, was enough to set Klaus on edge.

It hadn't been that long ago that he had killed all but one of his hybrids, slaughtered the lot of them because they thought they could take him down, because they had thoughtlessly spat at the gift he had so graciously given them. He still had half a mind to come back later in the night when Caroline was asleep and give Vincent a lesson he'd never forget about keeping things from him ever again. Not kill him, but ensure he learned from his mistakes.

Dessert was being served, some chocolate concoction that he barely paid attention to but Caroline seemed quite intent to try out. Klaus continued to play the part of being relaxed, of having already forgiven the other vampire, but he could tell from Vincent's glances at him, that nervous tension that ran through him causing the boy to shiver every so often that Vincent did not buy into it. He'd always been rather observant.

"How much longer will you and Caroline be in Romania?" Vincent asked, trying to change the subject to something that might lessen the tension between the two of them. It was a noble effort. "Will you be taking her to the false location of Dracula's castle?"

"False location?" Caroline asked, frowning slightly at that as she ate her dessert. "Why would anyone go to it if it's not the actual place?"

"Tourists are thirsty for vampires and it resides in Transylvania. It looks enough like their own imaginings of what Bram Stoker put out that they go along with it for the photo opportunities," Vincent replied, and she nodded before looking over at Klaus.

"We don't have to see that," she assured him, and Klaus arched a brow at that. "The real thing is enough for me."

Klaus was about to reply, to make a comment about how she was far superior to Mina anyway, when a woman entered the room. Her presence had him on alert as she didn't quietly come inside like all of the servants. No this one burst in and he found himself unable to move before he could even react. The spelled rings should be working if she was trying to get inside of his mind like the last set of witches had, but it seemed that Vincent was still able to move as he was rose as soon as the woman entered and Caroline had placed her spoon down, looking bewildered.

"Why are you here, Gertrude?" Vincent demanded, narrowing his eyes at her before looking at Klaus. He seemed to get the hint by Klaus' narrowed eyes that something was wrong. "These are my guests, they are not to be harmed."

The witch's response was to wave her arm at him and send the vampire flying across the room, slamming into the wall. Caroline rose and the witch turned toward her, waving again except nothing happened to her. Seemed that her ring was working just fine. Curious how his wasn't.

"What are you doing?" Caroline demanded, and Klaus was impressed as he watched her vampire features come into play, the veins around her eyes appearing as her gaze darkened.

"Our lord will rise and his rule will reign," the woman replied and the door opened again, more witches piling in and chanting.

Oh how Klaus despised the chanting. He was going to rip out all of their vocal chords first just to stop that incessant noise.

" _Ugh._  Seriously? You'd think witches would be harder to corrupt. Power is so not all it's cracked up to be," Caroline muttered, trying to figure out who to attack first. Or should she just grab Klaus and make a run for it.

She opted for choice two, grabbing hold of him but she couldn't move him even with all of her added strength. It was like he was bolted into the floor and she groaned at that, offering him a sigh which had him grin before nodding toward the witches. She never got a chance to head that way though, her focus returning to him as he began to twitch.

Klaus muscle ached as if they'd been through quite the workout and then ever so slowly he felt his bones begin to break and shift. Something he hadn't experienced in months since he'd deliberately shifted into his wolf. He felt no pain with it but fear registered in his head as he looked at Caroline who seemed to also be realizing what was happening as his shoulders twisted and the cracking sound reverberated through the room.

"Oh god," she murmured, running a soothing hand down his back and he wondered if she'd done this before for that annoying pup Tyler.

"You were warned off doing this and now your fears will come true," the woman told him and Klaus narrowed his eyes at that, trying to fight the transformation.

He knew what she spoke of, remembered the nightmares vividly in his mind. Caroline dying as his wolf attacked her, tearing into her flesh with him unable to reel in the beast. He couldn't allow that to happen.

"Once you've lost her to this," the woman continued and he wanted nothing more than to tear out her throat, to rip her and the others limb from limb. "You'll only ever be able to get her back by helping Silas lower the veil."

Caroline's eyes widened further at that and Klaus saw the fear in her eyes at the woman's words, could smell her terror and needed it to go away. The beast inside craved that fear, wanted more of it and he needed her out of there and far away until he could force himself back to normal.

Klaus felt the push he'd felt all those nights ago when his dreams had been invaded, felt whoever was in there trying to twist his thoughts and desires, to change his mindset from protecting the baby vampire to destroying her. He tried to fight it, but fighting that and the transformation was too much to handle. He was going to need to pick one or the other and wasn't sure he could fight the voice in his mind once he was a wolf even.

The witches were so focused on forcing his transformation that they didn't notice Vincent rise. Klaus worried that the vampire would make a bad move and try to attack the witches. He might get one of them but there were too many at this moment and all it would do was delay the inevitable for a few moments. He watched as Vincent grabbed Caroline and flashed them out of the house. For a moment she was safe, but he felt the madness trying to take hold of his mind as he completed the transformation, telling him to locate them and to do what was needed, to tear the little girl into pieces.

_Caroline_.

Klaus let out a deep howl before he set off in the direction the two had gone, easily locking onto her scent, determined to find her, but unsure which instinct would win out once he did.

 


	18. Chapter 18

_I don't just want to take your breath away. I want to rip it from your mouth and keep it locked away between my teeth. You can only have it back if you kiss me again—Meggie Royer_

* * *

Everything was a mess.

Caroline remembered what it had been like running from Tyler when he'd been a wolf. The fear that he'd catch up and the worry of what that would do to his mind if he did end up killing his friends. She felt the same way now with Klaus, wondering what it would do to him if he came out of his wolf stupor to find her and Vincent dead by his teeth. She knew he'd find a way to make the witches pay but considering all he'd done so far to keep her alive, she wouldn't be surprised if the witches were right.

If he managed to kill her and she went to the Other Side, Klaus would just help Silas in order to bring her back. Maybe the thought of Mikael and Esther returning would be enough of a deterrent but she wasn't sure any longer. If Klaus switched sides and helped bring the veil down the world was screwed because Caroline knew nothing would stop him until he did get his way. Even if the others somehow managed to destroy Silas, Klaus might just keep working to get her back, and the hell that Zelda had told them about might still reign and all of it would be for nothing.

The ground beneath her gave way and she nearly fell through, Vincent grabbing her before she could, hauling her back onto firm ground.

"Careful. Watch your footing out here," Vincent told her, redirecting her path through the woods. "And don't go that way."

She glanced over at him as they ran. Flashing their way through the woods had become harder the further away they went, like they were running against a current that was trying to drag them down. Caroline was pretty sure they were only going at a human pace now and that wasn't good. Most likely it had to do with the witches. No doubt Klaus had completed the transformation into a wolf and now the witches needed to give him an opportunity to catch them.

As if on cue a howl cut through the air, causing Caroline to shiver as she tried to run faster, pushing her legs to move. "Why can't I go that way?" she asked, needing reasons, not ready to trust him.

"A trap for vampires. I'm a bit paranoid. There are some all over these woods but there are more in that direction as it comes from the mountains and is less visible to the naked eye," Vincent informed her and she nodded, making a mental note not to go that way. "How long do you think it will take for him to catch up to us?"

"I don't know." Not long. It hadn't taken Tyler long to catch up to Matt and her before and Klaus was a hybrid, no doubt he was faster even in wolf form. "I doubt it'll be all that long."

She was pretty sure she could hear the sound of the wolf running in their direction, paws hitting the underbrush as it moved swiftly through the underbrush. "Why would they think that killing you would have Klaus switch sides, Caroline," Vincent asked and she shook her head, not wanting to answer that question.

Answering it gave way to too many possibilities, it opened doors she wasn't ready to have opened, allowed Klaus another opportunity to wheedle his way inside of her and she couldn't allow that. He'd already gained so much ground already. "I don't know," she murmured, refusing to look at Vincent when he glanced her way.

"We both know that's a lie," Vincent told her, grabbing her arm and coming to a stop which forced her to do so as well. Her arm ached from the sudden loss of momentum and she was surprised it hadn't pulled her arm out of the socket. "Why do they think that, Caroline?"

She shrugged, glancing around the forest. "I really don't think we have time for a chat, Vincent." They needed to keep running because the wolf was going to catch up with them soon if they didn't. "We need to move."

"Not until I know why they think that." His grip on her arm tightened and she wasn't sure she could use the element of surprise to flip him off her in that moment. His strength was significantly more than her own, fingers biting into her skin.

"Why does it matter? It's not going to stop him from finding us and ripping us apart!" And that was going to happen a lot sooner if they didn't start moving again. "Plus they're  _your_  witches. Like shouldn't you have freaking  _known_  that they were working for Silas?" How the hell had the guy missed that?

Vincent scowled at that and from the weariness in his gaze she had a feeling he'd been duped as well, seemed like Silas' followers were pretty good at doing that to others. "There has to be a reason for them to believe he'd fight for your return. That he'd chance Mikael coming back after centuries of running from that monster and finally being done with him," Vincent replied and Caroline couldn't look at him.

"He's…" He likes me didn't work. Liking someone didn't lead to what he'd done for her or in her name. Obsession maybe but she didn't think it was that. Or maybe it was but she knew it was more than that for Klaus even if he'd never come out and said the words, even if she didn't allow herself to think the words. If she didn't then it wasn't real and she desperately needed it not to be real. "He's in love with me."

Or at least he thought that he was in love and that frightened her to the very core. Klaus couldn't be in love with her because that meant he'd never give up. Caroline also knew if someone could love then there was good in them, that they could be saved. Even if it might take centuries for that to ever happen. Even if she didn't really know what it was he'd be saved from.

Love changed the entire game, admitting it out loud made it real and she wasn't ready for that to be real. Not yet. Maybe not ever. She didn't know. What did it mean to be loved by an immortal? By someone who had traveled the world for one thousand years, taking what he wanted, when he wanted it? By someone who was feared by most who knew his name? By someone who did such  _terrible things?_  Caroline didn't have any answers for any of her questions, didn't even want to try and contemplate them either. But the words were out there, she'd admitted it to Vincent and to herself and she knew that nothing would ever be the same.

_If_  she survived.

She was going to survive.

Vincent seemed shocked by the statement and Caroline couldn't blame him for that. Klaus being in love wasn't something she could see most people believing to be a possibility, not when he thought love was a weakness and it was kind of obvious how he usually dealt with weaknesses in his life. Yet there she was, still alive and thriving.

He was staring at her, as if he was trying to evaluate her words against everything he knew to be true, against all he'd witnessed in the last few hours, and she didn't like how he had that same damn penetrating stare that Klaus had. It had to be an ancient vampire thing. She was certain of it.

"Take this," Vincent told her pulling a long gold chain off from under his shirt. Attached to the end was a key. He murmured something in a language she didn't know as he handed it to her. It burned at the touch for a moment before the sensation disappeared. "It'll open the vault to get the bones you will need."

"What are you talking about? We have to keep running." Bones and keys could all wait for later. They needed to worry about getting away from Klaus.

"I consider this my penance for having withheld information for all those years," Vincent replied and Caroline watched him take a step back toward where they had come. "Run, Caroline, run as fast and as hard as you can. I will try to lead him away from you."

"What?  _No_!" she cried out as he headed back toward the house. She raked her hands through her hair, willing what had just happened not to be true, before looping the chain around her neck and starting back off into the woods.

She didn't hear anything at all for a number of minutes and she thought maybe Vincent had succeeded, maybe he'd gotten Klaus off her path and was heading somewhere the wolf wouldn't be able to get him either.

But then Vincent's screams pierced the air and Caroline tried to shut them out, knowing he was most likely being ripped into and eaten alive. She tripped over the underbrush and tried to catch herself but only tumbled down the small hill. Pushing herself up she heard the wolf howl again and could swear it was closer than before. Maybe Vincent would be okay. Maybe he'd survive his wounds and when Klaus was back to normal they could get the cure into him and…Vincent's voice cut through the air again, his scream causing her to press her hands to her ears because the intensity. It cut off mid-yell and all hope Caroline had was quickly dashed.

And then she was falling, the ground she'd been running on giving way under her, sending her falling into the water in the hole.

She plunged into it, swallowing a large amount and tried to scream as she bobbed to the surface, her throat and entire body on fire. It had to be vervain, nothing else could cause this much pain. When Alaric had made her inhale the stuff it had felt like tiny razor blades in her throat but swallowing it was so much worse. She felt like her insides were being ripped to shreds, her skin blistering as she thrashed in the water, trying to find a way out.

Caroline could vaguely remember Stefan in the well, how bad off he'd seemed, and how he'd needed blood afterward, how he hadn't been able to move. There was no one around for miles, no one but Klaus and he was a wolf, intent on killing her. She hadn't even heard any animals while she was running.

But none of that would even matter if she couldn't get out of the water. She didn't have a clue how long she could survive in it, didn't really want to contemplate being in the water any longer than necessary. Her thoughts were a jumbled mess and she tried not to worry about them, tried to bite through the fire that seemed to be torching her from the inside out as well as the outside in.

Finally, Caroline spotted some rocks on one side and with some effort she managed to get herself onto one of them and then crawled out onto the grass, collapsing against the ground. Her clothes were soaked with vervain, she was pretty sure some of the damn flower was twisted in her hair. Every inch inside and outside of her was in pain and she tried to breathe through it, to calm her body down enough so she could rip away at least some of her dress and she could keep moving. She needed to get away before Klaus found her but she had barely been able to drag herself out of the water, how was she supposed to escape a hungry wolf?

Caroline froze at the sound of snarling behind her and shut her eyes, silently crying because she didn't need to look to know he was there. The wolf growled low in his throat, the sound causing her to cry out which only made her throat hurt more. She thought of her mom, living in Tuscany, how she'd never be able to release her from the compulsion now. Maybe that was for the best? Her mother would live out a normal life, die a normal death years down the road. Maybe it'd be better if she didn't remember she had a daughter.

Except she was selfish and wanted her mother to remember her,  _needed_  for that to happen again one day.

The wolf started circling her and Caroline tried to push herself up again, to move at least an inch but she didn't have the strength.

This wasn't supposed to be how it went. Caroline wasn't supposed to die at Klaus' hands. This wasn't supposed to be how her forever ended but she was at the wolf's mercy now and part of her hoped he'd be quick about it while the other tried to figure out a way to fight, to survive.

* * *

Bonnie was trying to listen to what Kol and Lucy were telling her, tried to pay attention to only the two of them, but it was difficult to do so with Eddie sitting beside her. She could feel each time he flinched, each time he clenched his fists, no doubt fighting down the urge to leap across the Diner table and rip out Kol's heart. She remembered how difficult it had been for Jeremy to control himself once the urges were firmly in place and really there was little reason for her to try and keep the new Hunter from doing what he wanted.

She didn't care about Kol Mikaelson. There was no reason for her to protect him. If anything, his annoying presence almost made her want to egg on her new friend to do his duty.

But Lucy said he couldn't, that the spirits wanted them all working together, and unfortunately when the spirits had responded to Bonnie they had told her the same thing. So for now at least it looked like they all had to at least try to get along. "Okay, I get that we don't want this Silas guy to rise. End of the freaking world or whatever," Eddie started, leg jittering against her own as he picked up the coffee he'd ordered. "But what does that have to do with what I've become? Why me? Why did this happen to me?"

"If you're going to run around always looking for the whys you'll end up insane, mate," Kol replied, and Bonnie wanted nothing more than to throw her own coffee at the vampire. How was that answer supposed to help? He must have saw her irritated look because he honed in on her in seconds, all bright smiles and a look she could only describe as 'crazy eyes'. He kind of had that look perfected. "What? Do you think we'll ever know the full story of all that's happened? I've lived a thousand years and I couldn't tell you every little detail of every minute of those years. And not just because I was locked away in a box for part of the time."

"Locked away in a box?" Eddie asked, and Bonnie tried to center herself, to not let her newly reacquired powers a chance to go out of control, but it was really trying at the moment.

"My brother has trust issues. He was partial to locking us away when we got to be a bit too unruly for his liking," Kol replied with a shrug. "But my reasoning is all the same. You'll never know all of the whys. You're a Hunter because you need to be. Because nature enjoys its twisted games at trying to keep a balance. Allows its witches to create what it considers to be an abomination and then goes and creates something that wants to kill it."

"We're not sure if the whole Hunter thing is blood related or if there's some other factor in play. All we know is you were predestined to have a chance to become activated. No guarantee it would happen in your lifetime, it all depends on the Hunters before you, but you had the potential," Lucy interrupted, trying to get the conversation back on track.

Like Jeremy had been a potential, though Bonnie found it odd that he hadn't realized that until so late in life. Though that probably had to do with the fact that they'd never met a Hunter until recently.

One of the other Coven members waved for Lucy and she sighed heavily before excusing herself from the conversation and heading over to see what was needed.

"So I'm like a Slayer?" Eddie asked, shaking his head at all of them. "This isn't 90s television. And I'm a guy." He pointed at Kol. "And they don't burst into dust."

"Slayer?" Kol asked, clearly not getting the reference.

"We'll catch you up on your lost television years later," Bonnie muttered, refocusing her attention on Eddie. "We can't give any whys, Eddie. We just know what we need to do now. What you need to do now."

"You need me to kill people," Eddie murmured, shoulders slumped as he stared down into his coffee.

It wasn't that Bonnie wanted to ask him to do that, but it was needed. It was the only way to finish the map that would lead them to finishing everything. One way or another someone was going to finish the map. She wouldn't put it past Valerie to already have set out looking for another Hunter if she wasn't still on their trail. Lucy had said her own Coven was looking for another one as well.

"Not people," Bonnie told him. "Vampires." They weren't people, not anymore. Not all of them. They would find ones who acted more like the Original family than her friends and kill those ones. That would be her ideal at least. She had a feeling it wouldn't turn out that way though.

"They were people once," Eddie sighed, leaning back against the booth.

"They're something far better now," Kol replied, waving him off. "I actually know of a little vampire community nearby. They're old though so you might need a little witchy power back up to help with containing them. Wouldn't want any of them slipping away when you could be using them to complete your mark." He looked over at Bonnie again, grinning. "And since the littlest Bennett got her powers back we'll have more than enough juju to accomplish keeping them put."

"Why are you helping us pick out who to kill anyway?" Bonnie demanded, crossing her arms as she leaned back as well. "And don't sell me some bullshit about liking the world as your little smorgasbord."

Kol leaned forward, a nasty gleam in his eye. "I made them. Funny how they didn't even try to get me undaggered," he started, and Bonnie shook her head at that. No doubt Kol knew that even trying to undagger him would have resulted in their deaths. "They had their hundred years. Time to pay penance. I never liked this lot much anyway. I'll just pop on over there with Killer here and the Coven if you're not in the mood and we'll get this taken care of in no time."

"He's not going anywhere with you," Bonnie replied, not about to let Eddie out of her sight and definitely not so he could go out with the Original. Though it might be fun to watch Eddie stake him.

"It'd be me and an entire Coven of witches. We'll hardly be alone together," Kol pointed out, motioning back to where the other witches were sitting, including her mother. The vampire.

She didn't trust them. Not like she would need to in order to allow Eddie to go off with them without her. She'd promised she would help him and she wasn't going to unwittingly break another of those. She'd already failed so many of her friends, she couldn't fail him as well.

"Then I guess you'll be coming along if you don't trust anyone else with him," Kol continued, and she didn't like the wink he gave her. "We'll have such fun on our road trip, little witch." He rose before she could respond. "I think I'll go get my own bite to eat now."

He was gone before she could even administer a spell to stop him and Bonnie glared at the empty space, hearing Eddie sigh beside her. This wasn't going at all how she expected. She really wished the spirits weren't determined for them all to work together. Going against them again would have severe consequences and she didn't want to face any of those unless it was really needed. Getting rid of the headache that was Kol Mikaelson wasn't worth the loss of her magic all over again.

Lucy slipped back into the booth. "I know, he's pompous and annoying and I've no clue how he's going to react to anything," she started, and Bonnie wondered if any of that was supposed to help her feel better about the situation. If so, it was seriously missing its mark. "But he was the one who ended the Silas following a few centuries back. So as aggravating as Kol's presence is, as much as his methods are questionable, he knows what he's doing and he wants Silas destroyed as much as the rest of us."

"I don't trust him," Bonnie replied and Eddie nodded at that, agreeing with her.

"Neither do I. I think trusting him would be a very stupid thing to do. But at least we're stuck with him and not Klaus," Lucy told them, and Bonnie had to agree with that. Being stuck with that madman would have made everything ten times worse. "I just hope your friend is strong enough to survive being with him."

Bonnie frowned, wondering what Lucy was referring to. "My friend?"

"Caroline," Lucy replied, and Bonnie felt as if her heart had stopped beating, as if she'd stopped breathing in that moment.

"I need you to fill me in on everything right now, Lucy. Don't leave a single thing out," Bonnie told her, unable to help the terrible sense of dread that spread through her when she found out Caroline was with Klaus.

She had already known nothing would be the same for her friends but knowing Caroline was out there with Klaus had her worried more than anything else. She knew what he was like, she'd seen the way he watched her friend, knew that each time they pushed the two of them together for distraction would come back to bite them in the ass. All she could do now was hope that her friend would come out of it all unscathed, that Caroline wouldn't lose who she was and let the Hybrid destroy her. Even if Bonnie wasn't quite sure any of them could survive what was to come without being destroyed in some way.

* * *

Tyler was reworking the chore schedule, trying to liven it up a little for those who hadn't been tasked with heading out to find a Hunter or get more supplies from the nearest town. There was water to get, firewood to find, cleaning of clothes, and so much more that needed to be doled out in a way where everyone did some of it, even him. He wouldn't allow anyone to think they were better than the other, wouldn't let that kind of hostility start to breed into the pack. They were a family and families were supposed to help one another, provide for one another, and he'd make sure that's what they continued to do.

His attention was redirected when one of the wolves on border patrol headed his way, looking entirely too gruff and uncertain. Tyler didn't like the look at all, had a feeling it spelled trouble. "What's wrong?" he asked, handing off the duty list to another to start handing out as he headed over to the man.

"New wolf. Says she knows you," Larry told him, nodding his head back, and Tyler looked over the man's shoulder to see who he was talking about.

_Hayley._

His eyes narrowed, fury beginning to overwhelm him at the sight of the woman standing there, trying to look contrite. Was she seriously there, in  _his woods,_  with  _his pack_ , acting as though they were old friends? At one time it might have been that way, back before she'd betrayed the other hybrids, before she betrayed him. He understood it to a degree, her need for family, he had the same need. But she had infiltrated his group, earned his trust, earned all of their trusts only to lead them helplessly to their slaughter.

Any friendship he'd held toward her was long gone, burned out at the sight of his former pack lying dead on the forest floor. "You're not welcome here," Tyler stated as he walked toward her, reeling in the urge to hit her, his voice hard. He liked the way she flinched at it, but the regret in her eyes made him hate her even more.

It was too late for regret.

"Be sensible, Tyler," Jules started and he shut his eyes for a moment, needing her and Mason to disappear, not wanting their opinion in this. "She's a wolf. She worked with Shane. She'll be able to help us."

He didn't care. He didn't want Hayley's help. Not anymore. Not when she could so easily turn against the pack at a moment's notice and he needed to protect  _them_. They were his family now and he wouldn't let Hayley use them for her own gain.

"Tyler," Hayley started, and he didn't want to hear her lies, to hear her spin what she had done in a way to make him pity her. He had none of that left. Not for her. "I was only trying to—"

"No," he growled out, unsure if he was pleased that she had stepped back or not.

He knew the rest of the pack was watching them, no doubt wondering what was happening and who she was. "You shouldn't have come here, Hayley," he told her, grabbing her arm and marching her toward the border of his packs' area. "Step foot on my land again, come near me or mine again, and I will have no problem exacting justice on you for all your crimes."

She opened her mouth to counter that and his grip tightened on her arm, eyes flashing dangerously. "I know you haven't been with any packs for all that long. But do you want me to tell them what you did?" he asked, watching her eyes widen with fear. "Do you know what happens to a wolf who betrays her own?"

"I just wanted a family," Hayley replied, her voice broken in a way his had been before. He was only just now beginning to live again, to really have a purpose, and maybe she'd find her own again one day, but not with him. Not anywhere near him.

"You had one," Tyler reminded, shoving her away. "You're one who decided to get them killed. Hope it was worth it."

"There wasn't any other way, Tyler," Hayley shouted, and the saddest part was that he thought she truly believed that. He wondered exactly how broken she was? How she could have gone from helping him in the Appalachians to leading Klaus to their friends' slaughter? Was any of it real, that camaraderie they had shared? He wasn't sure any longer. It really didn't matter if it had been real at one point, it was long gone now.

"There were plenty of other ways and the fact you can't see that only strengthens my not wanting you anywhere near me or mine," Tyler replied, pointing toward the path that led back to the main road.

"I could help you with the Hunter. I know you've got one coming to you. I'll tell you everything that Shane told me about them," Hayley tried, and if it had been weeks before Tyler might have hesitated, might have accepted that help.

Not now though. Not when he had men, women and children looking to him for leadership. Not when he'd endured countless nightmares of his dead friends calling out to him for help as Klaus slaughtered them. Not when he thought of his mother and how she was lost to him forever.

"Save your words, Hayley, I don't want to hear them." He turned to leave but she grabbed his arm and he wheeled back around, eyes flashing again, pleased this time when she stepped back.

"I can help, Tyler. Just give me another chance," she urged, her voice and eyes pleading with him. He wondered if his mother had looked at Klaus like that before he drowned her.

"I'll never trust a thing you tell me again, Hayley," Tyler told her, nodding toward the road again. "Now leave before I make you."

He turned around, done with listening to her and headed back to continue working on the duty chart. Tyler could hear her sob before he heard her footsteps fading off into the distance. He felt no regret as he sat back down, taking the paper back to work on. There were some questioning glances his way for a moment but they were quickly gone. The pack trusted him to look out for them, to do what was best, and he wasn't about to break that trust. Especially not by putting his faith in the wrong people again.

He'd already learned from the mistake. He didn't need to learn it twice.

The man was back, the one who had been following her across the country, the one who's neck she had snapped that one time and thought she'd gotten her point across. She would allow no one to get in the way of her mission. She couldn't allow anyone to do so, not when that was now her sole purpose in life. Find the witches, give them blood, kill them and force them to turn. A nifty little trick to destroy magic for a while, to weaken a blood line, even if she didn't really understand why she was doing so.

All she knew was that  _he_ wanted it done and she would do whatever he wanted.

Nothing else made sense any longer and the harder she tried to latch onto anything else aside from her mission, the easier everything slipped away from her. She didn't even remember her name any longer. She looked in the motel mirrors and couldn't quite make out her features. Everything was a blur if it didn't have to do with her new goal in life or feeding so that she could continue on killing.

"Elena," the man called out, voice pleading with her to listen.

There was so much emotion in that one word. Was it supposed to mean something to her? Was it a name? Was it  _her_  name? She tried to latch onto, tried to hear what else the man said, his voice laced with regret, with something good, something called love.

She vaguely remembered love. A mother's embrace. Her father's laughter. Her brother's smile. It was all there waiting just out of reach for her to try and grab onto. But each time she did, each time she tried to remember those faces, to remember that all-encompassing feeling, pain shot through her, and she immediately stopped. Now all that she could associate with that emotion was being hurt, feeling like her mind was being sliced opened and everything eradicated from it. A searing pain that went all the way down to her toes, making her want to drive the emotion far from her mind, from her heart.

It wasn't allowed to touch her anymore.

She wouldn't let it.

"Elena, please, it's Damon. Let me get you out of here," the man tried again, now standing in front of her, and she stared up at him, taking in his pleading look.

His hands were on her face, cupping her chin, brushing her hair. All things that should have been soothing but that she had come to associate with razors scraping across her skin. He looked so lost, so vulnerable in that moment, like everything about him revolved around her.

"I'm going to fix this, Elena," Damon promised, and she tilted her head to the side, wondering what he'd fix. "I'll fix you. Everything will be better. You'll be happy again."

_Happy_.

At one time she might have associated that with something good, it wouldn't have meant more torture in her head, in her body. It wouldn't have come to mean more pain than she knew how to deal with. She didn't want happy. She didn't deserve it any longer.

So she did the only thing she could do, the one thing the voices in her head kept urging for her to do. She put him out of his misery.

It was easy. Hand plunging into his chest, the shock on his face as she ripped her hand back, taking his heart with her would be etched into her mind for all eternity. His body fell to the ground and she dropped the heart, wiping the blood off on her clothes before stepping away from the mess she'd made.

The witch she'd needed to obtain had gotten away so it served this Damon right for getting in the way. He really should have heeded all of the warnings and stayed away. Besides, now love wouldn't hurt him anymore either. Really she'd done him a favor.

She headed out of the building and back into the dark street, trying to track down the witch who'd escaped, listening to the directions she was being given.

It didn't matter that somewhere deep inside a part of her was screaming over and over again for the man who was dead. Didn't matter that part of her was lashing out at the cage Damon had unwittingly helped make for her all of those weeks ago when his use of the sire bond had fractured her mind into so many pieces that she'd been so easily manipulated. That by the time she realized that something was wrong it was too late to fight her way back and regain control.

Her face might have been that of Elena Gilbert's but the last part of her mind blinked out of existence, too distraught to hold on any longer. Her last shimmer of hope lying dead in a house by her own hand. All that was left was a walking shell, ready to continue to do her master's bidding.

* * *

Running as the wolf should have equaled freedom. That's what it had back when he'd done it nearly a year ago, roaming the woods of Mystic Falls after he'd broken the damn curse. No cares in the world as he ran, fed, and slept. None of the responsibilities that were always on his shoulders, or the worries that were constantly in his head, no waiting for the next betrayal to be thrust his way. It had just been him and the woods.

There was none of that freedom now, his mind constantly being barraged, manipulated to hunt down the girl. He'd know her scent anywhere, his blood pumping through her veins a lovely little tether that allowed him to hone into her location even easier. But instinct didn't want him to tear her apart like it had the other vampire, the one he vaguely remembered while in his wolf form but couldn't quite put any importance to. It was the voices urging him along, trying to force his hand, to work his mind the way they wanted that wanted her dead.

He snarled in victory at having found her, snapping at the moaning girl on the forest floor. It would be so easy to step an inch forward and bite into that pretty skin. Except it wasn't pretty any longer. It was red and blotchy, looking as though it had been burned. Her fear should have been an aphrodisiac, the voices in his head were trying to spur him into looking at it that way, to make her fear him even further.

But he didn't like her whimpers of pain, did not like that fear in her eyes as she tried to push herself up and away from him, only to collapse onto the ground again. Tears were running freely down her face, and while her voice was barely audible he heard her say his name.

"Klaus."

Even with how raw she sounded there was so much emotion wrapped up in that one tiny word as he stalked around her, growling as he moved. He snapped at a leg, watching her flinch back even though he'd not been close enough to make contact. He could see her searching for something to use against him but there was nothing in the grass, nothing for her to grab onto and throw. She only had her body and if she got too close all it would take was one bite before her clock started to run out faster than it already was.

_Weakness_.

The thought reverberated in his head, taunting him as he circled the girl. Such a young thing, so vulnerable, easily killed. Perhaps it would be better for it to be by his hands. Life ended before she was forced to endure more torture. His enemies could be incredibly creative.

Really, he'd be doing her a favor.

A quick bite and she'd be done for. Tear into her chest, rip out her heart and it'd be over in an instant. He'd be left with the what-ifs but he'd learned long ago that those were easy enough to discard with distance and time. She'd become a memory, no doubt he'd forget her when enough decades had passed, her beauty living on forever in his drawings.

Forever immortal. Unblemished.  _His_.

"Are you…" she paused, head rolling back slightly as she tried to fight the pain. "Going to kill me?"

Something snapped inside of him at her words, reminding him of that night months ago when he'd first waked into her bedroom. That vulnerability mixed with honesty that he'd found so intriguing and couldn't seem to get out of his mind.

_Caroline_.

He stepped even closer, despising the terror that filled the air around them and bent down, nuzzling her cheek, trying to show he meant her no harm. That only seemed to make her cry harder though and he didn't like that, hated that she was frightened. The vervain hurt him as well, bit into his fur, but he wanted to offer her some comfort. He licked at her face, ignoring the pain it caused him as he tried to make the redness go away, to help her feel better, growling when it only caused her to whimper in pain.

The voices redoubled their efforts, pushing at him, trying to force him to give into instinct that he didn't want to feel around her, that he didn't feel in her presence without their constant assault on his mind.

Klaus forced the voice out of his head and pushed his body to limits he hadn't ever tried before, crashing through the magic that had forced him to transform, not caring that pain rippled through him, trying to tempt him to stop, trying to force him to remain in his wolf form and kill the girl in front of him.

He was Klaus, the Original Hybrid, and he was not about to let anyone control his life ever again. Least of all some witches in Romania who would be dead by sunrise if he had any say in the matter. And  _he would_ have quite a bit of say in that matter. His mother had bound his wolf side, forced it out of his reach for far too long and he'd be damned if he allowed another witch to use that same part of him to hurt  _her._

Klaus broke through their magic, limbs cracking, muscle stretching as his body twisted and shifted. He cried out as he transformed back into his normal visage, his entire body tense and rippling with fury.

Caroline's pained moan caught his attention and he reached for her, hissing at the vervain still all over her body. He couldn't let the clothes dry on her, didn't want her to have them attached to her skin. "You're going to be okay, sweetheart," he assured, grimacing as he brushed her hair off her forehead.

He needed to get the vervain off of her and the two of them far away from the witches, knowing the Coven would try and force his hand again if they remained where they were. He scooped her up in his arms, hissing at the pain and focused his hearing, listening for the sound of running water. It didn't take him long to hear it and he headed off in that direction, holding her close to his chest, hating that each movement only seemed to bring her more pain. At least she was alive unlike…

_Oh Vincent._

He would deal with that knowledge later and insure the witches paid for that death. Klaus laid Caroline on the bank of the river and looked down at her, frowning slightly. "I am sorry for this," he murmured, and ripped at her clothes, gritting his teeth as she cried out in pain as the vervain soaked clothing slid against her skin as he discarded it. Leaving it on her to dry would only cause her more pain in the long run.

He reached for the necklace around her neck, ready to yank it off but her hand caught his. "No." Her voice was barely audible and he knew it had taken her a lot to get that out so he left it on, wondering when she had gotten it. She hadn't had it on earlier in the evening.

Vincent. It most likely had to do with him.

Klaus scooped her up once she was completely naked and headed into the water, thankful it was at least waist high on him. He lowered Caroline and himself into it, letting the water wash away the vervain that had coated her skin. "Close your eyes, Caroline," he instructed, waiting for her to do so as he dunked them under, threading his fingers through her hair to get it out of there as well.

He pressed her face to his neck as they rose, knowing she'd ingested some, and from the way her skin was still so raw he knew she needed more than the vervain to simply be washed off. "Drink," he murmured, thankful she didn't fight him on that, closing his eyes as her fangs pricked his skin, pleasure coasting through him as she started to feed.

Klaus continued to wash the vervain out of her hair, holding her close as he watched her skin heal, as he felt it return to its usual smoothness against his body. He wondered how she would react once she realized they were both naked in the water, wondered how she would argue with him for that, and what she might call him for stripping her as he did. Klaus pressed his lips to the crown of her head as she continued to drink, enjoying the few minutes of silence between them, thankful his nightmares hadn't become reality.

She stopped feeding but didn't move right away and Klaus didn't want to let her go yet. He might not have been one to offer comfort much, but he needed her there in his arms in that moment, needed the proof that she was alive, that he hadn't killed her.

When Caroline pulled back finally to look at him, Klaus steeled himself for the verbal onslaught, for her to lash out with her words as he so often did with his hands. He never expected her lips to press against his own, for one of her hands to cup the back of his neck, holding tightly onto him, almost as if she was afraid he would disappear. It took him a few seconds to register what was happening before he kissed her back, deepening it, and pulled her flush against his body.

He could feel every inch of her, the swell of her breasts pressed against his chest, his fingers digging into her hips as he held her just as tightly as she held him. He didn't dare allow his hands to roam, no matter how much he wanted to do so, afraid she would snap out of whatever stupor she had to be in for her to imitate kissing him.

He'd kissed her before in Tyler's body and had thought she'd been a superb kisser then, but that assessment was only supported more as he did it in his own. He claimed her mouth for himself, seeking to plunder it, to know all the secrets that might be revealed from his lips against her, teeth nipping her bottom lip but not breaking skin. Klaus put everything into the kiss, holding nothing back because he knew Caroline would snap out of this moment at any second and he needed to be able to hold onto this memory, for it might be all he had until she was with him. Until she  _choose him._

He meant to show her everything he could offer her right then and there, delighted when her hand curled tighter around his neck, the other sliding into his hair. Every time she stopped, leaned back just a little to create a fraction of space between them he followed her, mouth seeking hers, refusing to be parted for long. She didn't push him away, gave as good as she got, hips bucking into his own though Klaus didn't think she realized she was even doing that.

He backed her up against one of the boulders in the water, her legs coming to wrap around his waist as his hands moved from her hips to grasp her ass, pulling her closer still. Her hands moved from his neck to his shoulders, down his back, and he couldn't resist any longer, letting a hand snake between their bodies to cup her breasts.

She whimpered at that, head pressing back against the rock and Klaus grinned, kissing and nipping his way along her jawline and neck. She let out a choked sob then and Klaus stopped, pulling back slightly to look at her face. Tears were welled up in her eyes and she moved, pressing her face into his neck again, arms wrapping tightly around him as her whole body shook. He could hear her quiet sobs, feel her tears against his neck, and it tugged at his heart in ways he didn't even realize was still possible.

Klaus stilled his movements, uncertain what to do at first, still not used to offering another comfort. He ran his hand down her back, rested his chin on top of her head as he held her still, letting her take whatever strength she needed from him in that moment, too astonished that she was seeking comfort from him to do anything but hold onto her.

"I didn't want to die," she murmured, voice breaking and he closed his eyes at that, reminded again of that night in her bedroom. "I want to see the world. I want to see my mom again. I don't want my life to be only what I did in Mystic Falls."

She was meant for so much more than that small town life and Klaus truly hoped she was really seeing that now. He knew she had started to glimpse it with his talk of far off places, with his offers, and what little she had seen so far on their journey, but he wanted her to finally realize that she deserved more than she allowed herself to have. Even if nearly dying by his hand wasn't quite how he wanted her to open up her eyes and make those realizations.

They needed to get moving, he knew that, but Klaus was selfish and didn't want this moment between them to end, wanted it to stretch on forever in front of them and the rest of the world be damned. There was little doubt in Klaus' mind that once Caroline was over her shock and realized what she had done that she would put even more distance between them. Perhaps he should have stopped the kiss, but he couldn't reject her, couldn't dismiss what he wanted so badly from her after he'd nearly lost her at his own hands.

"I want to help you," she continued, cheek against his shoulder, still shaking slightly but it seemed the tears had stopped. He wondered what she meant for a moment before she continued. "When you go back to take them down, to kill them, I want to help."

Klaus smiled at that, lips pressed to her brow, enjoying the fierceness in her voice. Part of him wanted to keep her well away from it, to make sure she was safe and out of their reach, but he couldn't deny her this revenge. "Then you shall help me," Klaus murmured, drawing his fingers through her hair.

They needed to get moving. No doubt the witches would be searching for them, trying to force their little scenario to play out and Klaus had no intention of allowing that to happen. "Is there any chance that Vincent is alive?" she asked and Klaus frowned at that, unsure if the vampire would have been able to survive the attack. He'd done a rather thorough job with the attack while in wolf form but he hadn't ripped Vincent's heart out so it was possible he was simply dying because of the bite, and that would be easy enough to cure.

"Perhaps," Klaus told her, though he wondered if the amount of bites he'd given the other vampire had sped up the venom coursing through his veins.

He threaded his fingers through her hair, filing away every inch of scenery around him, intending to put it to canvas as soon as possible, wanting to sear it all into his mind, never to be forgotten.

"We need to find him then," Caroline started, and Klaus sighed at that. "He went back the way we'd been running to give me a better chance, Klaus."

He pressed his lips together, internal war going on in his head, his pride not wanting him to give Vincent another chance, not after how he'd hid information from him for all those years. He couldn't discount the reasons why the boy had done so or the fact he'd apparently tried to help Caroline. Of course that had him questioning  _why_  Vincent had done so. Did he realize her importance? He had to have done so and Klaus didn't like that added vulnerability, even if he knew that eventually the world might learn of her importance to him.

"I'm going back for him even if you're not," she continued, and Klaus grinned at the fierceness in her voice again, not surprised that she finally pulled away from him, eyes narrowed and anger radiating off of her. He wondered if Caroline had any idea how attractive he found her in that moment, how hard it was to keep the beast inside from claiming her in more ways than one.

Especially now that she'd given him proof that his feelings weren't completely one sided. No one kissed someone as she had him without feeling actual emotions behind it.

The sound of someone walking in the distance broke Klaus' thoughts , branches snapping under footsteps, and Klaus' eyes narrowed as he honed his hearing and smell to try and deduce who was near. Caroline tensed in the water and Klaus was delighted to see that she was doing the same as him, head cocked to the side, trying to figure out if whoever nearby was a threat or not.

Good. She was learning.

"Human." There was the possibility that they were witches though and Klaus was not about to chance that, leaving the water before Caroline could say a word.

He was on the intruders in an instant, their startled looks quickly lacing with terror as they took in the sight of him. Two men simply out to hunt game by the looks of it. Simply human and easy enough to kill. He didn't hesitate, tossing one of men into a nearby tree and heard his neck snap, heartbeat ceasing. He grabbed the other one, tearing into his neck, needing to replenish the blood that he'd allowed Caroline to take, knowing he'd need even more if there was a chance to heal Vincent.

The sound of underbrush breaking behind him had Klaus spinning around, fangs bared and ready to attack, stopping when he realized it was Caroline. She was staring at him, eyes wide at all he had done in such a short amount of time. He would not apologize for this, for taking what was needed.

She looked away from him and the man dying in his arms, her gaze falling on the already dead one. "We need our strength, don't we?" she muttered, seemingly more to herself than for him.

"Preferably, yes," Klaus replied, fangs sinking back into the man, continuing to drain him dry. He arched a brow as Caroline walked over to the other man, kneeling down beside him.

"I'm sorry," she murmured, and then her fangs were in the dead man, and Klaus grinned against his own victim's throat, watching her feed, the fact she was naked while doing it adding another level of eroticism to it all.

She pulled back, blood smeared against her mouth, looking back up at him, her eyes so dark that he barely could make out any color in them.  _Beautiful_. She looked away again and he watched the shiver that ran through her, pleased to see how much his gaze could affect her, before he watched Caroline start to strip the man, taking the shirt and pants for herself. Klaus followed suit once he'd drained his victim dry, knowing it was for the best, though he was disappointed to see all of her lovely curves suddenly disappear in all of that fabric.

"Will they be found here?" she asked, looking over at him as she rose to her feet.

Klaus nodded toward the underbrush, pointing out how it seemed to have been trampled on ample times, branches of the trees in the area already twisted at angles to get them off the path. "This is their usual route so I'd say they would be if we were to leave them here."

"Good," Caroline replied, tightening the belt as much as she could to hold the pants against her waist. "Their families shouldn't wonder forever about what happened to them."

He'd much prefer that to actually be the case. For the wildlife of the region to destroy any instance of the men, to scour the remains throughout the woods so that no one would be able to piece together what happened. He really didn't feel in the mood for moving the bodies though, not with all that needed to be done. Hopefully the native wolves would be able to do their own damage before anyone stumbled across the men's path.

"Let's go see if Vincent is still among the living."

Caroline nodded, appearing relieved for a moment that they would be doing that before her eyes narrowed and Klaus quite liked when she did that and the anger wasn't directed at him. "And then we deal with the witches."

Klaus stepped toward her, cupping her face in his hands, pleased that she didn't flinch away even if she did suck in a breath at that, looking unsure of how to react for a moment. "Oh yes, sweetheart. And then we deal with the witches."

 


	19. Chapter 19

_I am terrified by this dark thing that sleeps in me_ —Sylvia Plath

* * *

Katherine had known that as soon as Rebekah had said that Klaus didn't want the cure that she was going to need to reevaluate her plans and figure out a new bargaining chip. Like hell was she about to let this opportunity slip through her grasp. Five hundred years of always looking over her shoulder, of  _knowing_  he knew where she was most of those times, of waiting for him to stake her in the middle of the night needed to come to an end. She wouldn't live like that any longer but Katherine knew the moment she stopped fearing for her life, the moment she thought she could simply settle down somewhere for any length of time that she was finally  _safe_ from him would be the moment that Klaus would finally strike.

Unless she had bartered for her freedom. It'd still be a crapshoot on whether or not he'd hold to his word but if Elijah was ingrained into her bid for freedom as well then the chances of Klaus keeping his word were fairly high  _and_  she'd finally get Elijah, something she'd been wanting for the last few centuries. It'd go even better for her if she could figure out something else for Klaus to fixate on.

Before it had been breaking the curse, which meant he'd been splitting his time from making her life hell and seeking out his key ingredients. But the curse was broken and she'd thought the hybrid making would keep him occupied for at least a century but no Elena and the Brat Pack had effectively ruined that. Katherine was certain something else would come along, something she could poke and prod at so that Klaus' obsessive tendencies would have him shifting focus from her suffering to something else.

She leaned back on the sofa as Elijah poured everyone a glass of wine, giving off an air of nonchalance as she examined her nails, frowning when she realized one was chipped. Stefan was sitting as well, though on one of the chairs far away from her. It was Rebekah who worried Katherine the most. The girl was agitated and Katherine wouldn't be surprised if there was a hole in the floor by the time the girl finished pacing.

The clack of Rebekah's heals was sure to give anyone a headache, but the added annoyance of her voice was setting Katherine's teeth on edge. "If Stefan filled you in on everything then  _why_  are we still here? Why are you not giving us the damn stone so that we can end this madness once and for all?" Rebekah demanded, and Katherine smiled at Elijah as he handed her a glass. "If it's seriously because of the rabble on the couch I'll be severely disappointed in you, brother. You can do significantly better than doppelganger castoffs."

Katherine sipped her wine, trying not to break the glass as her grip tightened around it. "That's enough, Rebekah," Elijah ordered as he set the wine down. "You're being petty."

"Tatia was far prettier," Rebekah continued, and Katherine simply smiled at the girl, unwilling to reply to the dig. "You're nothing but a stand in. At least Nik has moved onto a different hair color. Even if it's such a downgrade to go from royalty to small town beauty queens."

It took all of her inner strength for Katherine not to react to that statement, keeping that intrigue locked deep inside as she tried to figure out who Klaus' interest had moved toward, trying to remember who'd won that silly Mystic Falls pageant in the last few years. That piece of information could be infinitely more valuable than a cure she'd never be able to barter with considering how dire the situation surrounding it turned out to be.

"Rebekah," Stefan started a warning tone to his voice that Katherine knew all too well. She saw him looking at her and knew that he probably had an inkling of what was going on in her mind. Pity for him that Rebekah didn't interpret that the correct way.

"Oh,  _of course_ ," the Original sister started, her voice rising toward hysterics again. "You'll defend her. You'll defend Elena. You'll even defend Caroline, but not me, never me. No, for me, all you'll do is play the part so that Nik can dagger me. All for your precious little doppelganger." Rebekah glanced over at Elijah, eyes narrowed. "And you're no better. So much for always and forever or the  _noble brother_."

She was out the door before anyone could get a word in edgewise, Stefan following behind her, calling out for the girl. Katherine simply sipped her wine, schooling her features before looking over at Elijah. The regret on his face wouldn't do. She couldn't have him taking Rebekah's words to heart. That girl's life was already guaranteed to continue on. Hers was not and Katherine wasn't about to let an opportunity to procure her safety slip through her fingers.

"She's simply not appreciating that she's no longer receiving the sole attention of her brothers, Elijah," Katherine told him as she set down her wine glass and rose, heading over to him. She took the glass from his hands as well and set it down. "Little sisters rarely ever enjoy when their brothers finally find love."

His focus was on her again and she enjoyed the way he looked down at her, that smile he reserved for her, that touch of her cheek as he whispered her name, "Katerina."

No threats behind it this time as there had been so often before. But she wasn't running any longer and he wasn't giving chase. She just wished she could be certain that he truly saw her as he looked at her and not that foolish girl she'd been before she died. She would never be that girl again. She'd lived too long, done too much to ever regain the last remnants of her innocence back.

"I will call Klaus in the morning. Let him know we have the stone and learn where we are to proceed," Elijah told her, and she didn't quite like the look he was giving her, was unable to read it and she could usually always read him.

"And what about our bargaining chip?" Katherine asked, trying to keep her voice from betraying her worry.

His smile was sad and she could feel the exact moment all of her hopes were dashed. "We cannot use the cure, love," Elijah told her, pressing a kiss to her forehead before he stepped away from her, picking up his wine. "Klaus will kill you in an instant over it if what the others say is true about Silas and the collapse of the Other Side. Mikael cannot be allowed to return. Nor our mother."

Katherine couldn't discount that. She'd rather the two crazies set on destroying the vampire race weren't allowed out to try their luck all over again. Not to mention she had no intention of dealing with anyone she'd wronged in the last five hundred years. She didn't even remember all of their names let alone their faces.

"We'll find another way," Elijah promised, and she nodded, picking up her own glass and sitting back down, not really buying into his promise.

Seemed to her she needed to go back to relying on good old number one and one of the first things she was going to do was figure out who the new girl in Klaus' life was. She had her suspicions but didn't want to guess wrong, she was damn well going to make sure to use this new information to her advantage.

* * *

There were moments in life that once you'd experienced them, once they'd been lived through and you were finished with them, that everything was going to change. Her parents' divorce had been one of those moments, watching her father pack his suitcase, that kiss on her forehead as he said he loved her before he drove off and she was left with her mother and a thousand questions she never really got all the answers to, but the innocence of her childhood had laid shattered at her feet and no amount of superglue would be able to put it back together.

Her death had been another, that pillow over her face as she thought her best friend was suffocating her only to be reborn as a vampire. Memories brought back in full force, cravings she'd learned to control, answers to questions she'd never even realized she had laid out in front of her, all the while her relationships shifted with everyone. Some for the better, some for the worse, and others still undecided. She had managed to only feed and compel her nurse but that carnival worker hadn't been so lucky. There was no piecing back together who she had been though, the intensity of her emotions forcing her to adapt, to learn quickly or meet the same fate as thousands of vampires before her and Caroline Forbes was not about to bow out of the spotlight at a mere seventeen.

And now a kiss. Or perhaps it was all the moments leading up to the kiss, a thousand little pieces that had paved the way for her to ever turn to Klaus for comfort. Klaus who murdered Jenna, killed Elena though she'd come back, Mrs. Lockwood, and so many others, people whose names she didn't even know. Klaus who had terrorized her small town, terrorized the entire world, who banished her boyfriend, and reveled in everything that he was, in ways she didn't think she would ever be able to accept let alone participate in.

The same Klaus who had held onto her like she was his anchor, crushing her against his body as he made certain she was healing. Klaus who'd kissed like a man who wasn't sure where his next meal would come from; savoring every moment, igniting parts of her she didn't even realize could be set aflame.

Klaus, whose wolf hadn't attacked her, who'd seemingly tried to offer comfort with his nuzzling. Such a contrast to every other experience she'd ever had with wolves and Caroline didn't know how to put the walls back up, to keep him at arm's length even when part of her mind was flashing danger repeatedly at her.

There was guilt in the pit of her stomach, trying to gnaw away at her insides, reminding her of Tyler and she tried to latch onto that, to remind her mind and her body that what had happened between her and Klaus wasn't allowed to happen again. But this wasn't like the kiss in the forest from months earlier when she hadn't known it was Klaus in Tyler's body. This time she'd been completely aware of who she was kissing and had not only wanted to do so but she'd  _needed_  to kiss him. Needed to feel his lips on hers, his skin pressed against her, and to take that strength he'd been so willing to give to her, to find some measure of comfort in his arms.

And she didn't regret it. She knew that she was supposed to regret it.

Why wasn't she regretting it?

Hurting Tyler she would regret though and that thought twisted inside of her, knowing that kissing Klaus would be a betrayal to him no matter how she tried to rationalize it. It would always be there between them, even if nothing else happened between her and Klaus, and Caroline doubted that would be the case. One couldn't open the flood gates like she had and expect for there not to be any cracks created in the land, ones that could never return to their previous state even if the gates were closed again.

But she  _loved_ Tyler. Just as she loved Matt. Maybe it had been more intense with Tyler but Caroline was beginning to wonder if that had more to do with her heightened emotions than anything else. She'd barely been friends with Tyler growing up and then she'd helped him with his transition and their relationship had shifted, then the break up with Matt and hanging out so much had shifted it even more. Plus there was the fact that Tyler had accepted what she was, understood it to a degree Matt never could, while Matt had left her behind.

Every sense, every emotion of hers had magnified to a degree that some days she wasn't exactly sure which way was up. She just knew she felt  _everything—_ the good, the bad-and it didn't matter how hard she had tried to lock down and hide away the emotions Klaus caused her to feel because they had burst forth and getting them back into the dark hole she'd pushed them into before wasn't going to work.

She didn't know what that meant for her or for Tyler or even for Klaus.

All she knew was that she'd felt safe, loved, and powerful while Klaus healed her and washed away the vervain and that was such a dangerous combination for the girl who always felt as though she was second choice.  _But Tyler_. Kissing someone else was bad enough, but kissing  _Klaus…_

"This way," Klaus instructed, snapping her from her thoughts as she followed him through the forest, desperately trying to locate Vincent.

She hoped the other vampire was still alive, that they could save him, but if not they could at least give him a proper burial. It was the least she owed him after he'd basically sacrificed himself for her.

Klaus stopped moving; catching her arm as she nearly passed him, not expecting him to cease moving so quickly. It took her a moment to realize that she didn't flinch away from his touch. Not even a month ago and she would have done that. He seemed to have realized it as well and Caroline didn't want to handle that penetrating gaze right then, didn't want to look into any deeper meanings, still reeling from the kiss they'd shared not even an hour before.

They'd all said being on the team with Klaus would be dangerous but Caroline wasn't sure any of them realized just how dangerous it was for her. His wolf might not have harmed her but Klaus was devouring her in an entirely other way and Caroline wasn't sure if being torn apart by the wolf wouldn't have been a better outcome for her in the long run.

"Vincent," she murmured, saved from acknowledging Klaus as she spotted the vampire's body.

He was a mangled mess and Caroline was certain there was no way he'd survived, too much blood and she was pretty sure parts of him that were supposed to be on the inside were currently on the  _outside._  Except he made a sound, barely audible but they'd both heard it, flashing over to him in an instant.

"Can you save him?" Caroline asked, looking up at Klaus, startled by the remorse she saw in his features before they were quickly schooled into neutrality.

"I can heal him of the poison running through his veins," Klaus replied, before looking up at her. "But he'll need to feed in order to repair the rest of the damage. Might be more merciful to simply snap his neck and let the poison do its job."

Caroline shook her head, refusing to allow that to be the only option. "Just heal him," she muttered, and started to stand but Klaus grabbed her arm.

"If you think that I am allowing you out of my sight after what transpired you're severely mistaken, Caroline," Klaus told her, his grip becoming painful.

She tried to yank her arm away, put all of her own strength into it, but his hand only tightened, eyes flashing yellow and she hissed at him, her own eyes darkening. Okay, she really didn't like how his lips curled into a smirk or the arousal that filled the air.  _Really_  didn't like that part of that scent was definitely coming from her as well.

_Not good._

"Oh  _I'm sorry_ , did you think just because we had a moment that you get to double your already crazy amount of over protectiveness?" she snapped, trying to yank her arm away again but it was no use with the amount of strength he had compared to her. "Because  _newsflash_  so doesn't work that way."

"I'm relatively certain that's precisely what it means, Caroline," Klaus replied, and she swore she was going to have actual bruises on her arm from where his hand was with how tight his grip was becoming.

"There were no declarations of anything so no it doesn't," she muttered, still trying to get loose. Not that she even had an idea of where she'd go. Caroline simply didn't want to be as close as she was to him any longer.

He rose at that point, hand still tightly gripped around her arm. "Shall we do that then? Are you certain you're ready to know the exact extent of my feelings toward you?" Klaus asked and she froze at that, staring at him like a deer caught in the headlights. Caroline didn't know how it was possible but he stepped even closer to her, invading her personal space, and she forced her feet to remain rooted to the ground, to  _not_ step back. She wouldn't give the hunter inside of him that kind of power. She was  _not_ his prey. "For me to confirm what's no doubt been mulling around in your head for ages now?"

No, no she definitely wasn't ready to actually hear that kind of thing from Klaus. "I didn't think so," Klaus murmured, and Caroline frowned as he reached over, brushing strands of hair from her face.

Okay, she was definitely not ready to even contemplate let alone have this conversation or moment or whatever was happening between them. "Still doesn't mean you get to dictate what I do. You don't get to control me, Klaus. I'm my own person—vampire— _whatever—_ so I get to make my own decisions about what I do. Like standing and trying to figure out where we can get Vincent some blood so he can heal."

"My apologies for not wanting you dead," Klaus snapped, and she could practically feel the anger radiating off of him.

"I wasn't even going anywhere," Caroline protested, glaring at him, unsurprised when he reciprocated the look.

_Ugh._  This wasn't getting them anywhere and poor Vincent was dying at their feet. Something she wasn't about to let happen.

"There was a farm on the way to his house, right? So heal him and we can take him there," she started, trying to calm her body down, to decrease the intensity of everything happening around her, igniting fire in her veins. Refocusing everything back onto Vincent, into  _saving_ the other vampire was the only thing she could think of dong. "He saved my life. We're saving his."

"I never would have hurt you," Klaus replied, anger still lacing through his voice. He did release his hold on her and she scowled at the reminder that only brought up memories of his wolf nuzzling her cheek.

Thankfully he tore into his wrist and pressed it to Vincent's mouth. Caroline watched the vampire drink, though noted that Klaus didn't allow his wrist to linger long, only delivering enough blood to rid him of the venom before scooping Vincent up.

Minutes later they were at the farmhouse and inside of the stable, Vincent drinking a cow, body healing. Caroline leaned against the wall, trying to sort out what was to happen next, knowing they needed to take down the witches but wondered how that would happen. They couldn't just show up in Vincent's house, not with how strong their magic had been. The witches were probably on guard for any kind of attack. The sound of a car pulling up had all three of them halting their movements before Vincent flashed out of the stable, the sound of screams reverberating through the air within seconds.

"We need to stop him," Caroline murmured, taking a step toward the doorway but Klaus held up a hand as he headed toward her.

"You wanted him to heal. Animal blood won't sufficiently allow that to happen. Not with the extent of his injuries," Klaus countered, and Caroline tried to ignore the smell of blood hitting the air as well, tried to ignore how Klaus' scent seemed to surround her as he stopped in front of her. "We're going to head into battle soon and he needs to be at the top of his game. That will only happen if he feeds from humans. Just as you and I did earlier."

She knew he was right, knew it down to her very core, remembering how much weaker Stefan was compared to Damon. If the three of them were going to be taking on a coven of witches who had already shown they could force Klaus to turn into a wolf, they needed to be able to hold their own, and nothing but human blood would allow for that.

Another reminder that she couldn't step back into the life she'd been living, that there were going to be even more extremely difficult choices ahead, and that the bubble she had been living in back in Mystic Falls had effectively been burst. There was no patching it back together.

"That person doesn't have to die though," she replied, clenching her hands at her side before she flashed around him and out toward Vincent who had nearly drained the farmer dry. She pushed him off, knowing the element of surprise was the only thing that had allowed her to do so, and bit into her wrist, forcing blood down the man's throat.

Vincent snapped at her, seemingly ready to tear her head off but Klaus was on him before he could make a move, slamming the vampire onto the hood of the car. "I would hate to rip your head off after I just busied myself saving you."

Caroline ignored the two of them, already sensing the shifting calm in the air around them as Vincent came back to his senses. Her priority was the man in front of her. The one she had fed from earlier had been dead, and maybe she could have prevented Klaus from draining the one he had but she hadn't. So she wanted to at least try and prevent the farmer's.

Everything was muddled, all of her perfectly crafted morals breaking into pieces at her feet and she wasn't sure which ones she could salvage, but she knew she needed to save some of them. She wasn't about to lose herself completely. Adapt maybe, certainly grow, but Caroline had every intention of remaining who she was at her very core even if she was finally allowing herself to partake in some of the darker parts of vampirism.

"Go inside, relax for the day. Eat, sleep, be normal and don't remember a thing about what happened when you arrived home until we're gone. Go get us a set of clothes," she easily compelled before letting the man stumble toward his door.

"I am sorry, Caroline," Vincent started and she held up a hand.

"Seriously, so not necessary. I'm pretty sure I'd have tried to bite your head off if we were in one another's shoes," she replied, shaking her head. "Feeling better though?" At least he looked a whole lot better. No insides spilling outside were definitely an improvement and he looked to be completely healed. Even if he was probably going to remember being torn apart by Klaus for a very long time. That kind of experience didn't simply disappear because he'd survived it.

"Much," Vincent murmured, before dropping down onto one knee in front of Klaus, head bowed. "Thank you."

"You can thank me after we dispose of your motley little witch crew who are no doubt trying to track the two of you down with magic," Klaus replied, already moving away from the vampire, though Caroline noted his pleased grin. "Though, I must say that I am rather unimpressed with who you put your trust in these days. I thought you would have learned better after the incident with Mikael."

"I did numerous checks on them before allowing any of them into my home. None of them were from the same coven, not even the same country," Vincent started and Caroline flicked a stray strand of hair off her face as Vincent tried earnestly to plead his case.

It was still something to see others treat Klaus with such respect, with that undercurrent of fear that she always sensed coming from Vincent even as he seemed to value anything Klaus said or did. It was such a contrast from how she'd seen the residents of Mystic Falls deal with him, especially her group of friends. Usually there had been fear, at least at first, but they'd all become too cocky, she'd realized that, and it seemed like they'd forgotten precisely who they were dealing with at times. Respect though, they'd never given him that and Caroline wondered how much that grated on his nerves that some newbie vampires, a new witch, and vampires with a century or so under their belt treated him the way they did.

Respect was earned though, and Caroline hadn't seen anything from Klaus in those months he'd been in Mystic Falls that garnered him their respect. She doubted he saw it that way though, not with so many centuries under his belt of forcing respect from others. Just as he forced other relationships. Like with Stefan. Like with the other hybrids. Even with his family in some ways.

Yet, he didn't force it from her. Hadn't ever compelled her for company or anything else. Their date had been a brokered deal but she had agreed to it and had a feeling if she'd really tried she could have gotten him to trade a hybrid for something else. She didn't know quite what to make of it, just another layer to add to the shambles already falling around her feet.

"How do you expect us to take down a coven of witches who've already shown that they can take you down in at least one way?" Caroline asked arching a brow as Klaus scowled at that, definitely not liking the reminder of what had happened, of all he'd done and nearly accomplished.

"I'd think you'd already know the answer to that considering it was something your friends had you doing more than once with me," Klaus replied, cocking a brow at her as he clasped his hands behind his back, looking entirely too pleased with himself.

"We create a distraction." Of course. If they were looking at or dealing with something else then they wouldn't even see the three of them coming. "I'm kind of thinking my usual tricks won't work so well on the witches."

"That's where the good citizens of the village down the road will come into play," Klaus replied, and she didn't like that answer. "We'll compel them, Vincent will give them permission to enter his house so we can get around that industrious spell on it, and we'll use their entry and the subsequent altercation to get the drop on the coven."

So they would be collateral damage.

"Plus we need to get back into Vincent's place anyway in order to get the bones, isn't that right, old friend?" Klaus continued, and Vincent voiced his affirmation.

Caroline frowned at that, wondering how many would die, but in the end more would end up dead if Silas wasn't stopped, if hell was allowed to reign on earth. They couldn't allow that to happen.

"Try not to eat those we'll be using, hmm?" Klaus continued, as the farmer came back out with a change of clothes for Vincent.

"Won't they see through it all though?" Caroline pointed out. She knew Klaus had after that first time, even if he'd continued to allow her to play the part her friend's needed.

"Oh most definitely, but we only need mere moments, Caroline," Klaus replied, locking his gaze with hers. "We're not going to be talking with them or learning of their plans. We're simply going to kill each and every one of them. Something you were adamant about helping out with not too long ago."

"I still am," she snapped, glaring at him. "Just because I'm not a big fan of throwing other people into the fire doesn't mean I'm not ready to do what it takes to stop the witches." Because if they weren't taken care of they'd only try again, and what if the next time Klaus wasn't able to break through? What if he ripped her apart? She wasn't as old as Vincent; she'd probably succumb to injuries much quicker.

Then what would happen to her mother? Would she die when the world turned to chaos never remembering she had a daughter? Maybe that would be better for Liz Forbes, not to know all she'd lost, all the craziness that had been her life, but Caroline was selfish and she couldn't allow that to happen. Her mother  _would_  remember her because they were going to stop Silas, no matter what it took. If she had to darken her soul a little to accomplish that then so be it.

"So fill me in on what exactly you want us to get the villagers to do for this nifty little distraction idea of yours," Caroline told him, not sure she liked the fluttering in her stomach that was caused by how proud Klaus seemed as he looked at her.

"I'll tell you everything you need to know," he replied, small grin reminding her of the one he'd had at the pageant when he'd told her he would tell her all about being the bad guy.

That wasn't good at all. Especially when that grin had her smiling back, the remains of her walls crumbling even further into dust. "I reserve the right to do my own spiel if I think yours is too wordy," she countered. Even if it was quite something for  _her_  to accuse anyone of saying too much.

"By all means," Klaus replied, motioning for her to follow him toward the newly clothed Vincent. "I'd love to see what your mind comes up with."

Her grin only seemed to widen at that before she realized what she was doing and sighed internally.  _Oh Caroline Forbes, what the hell are you getting yourself into?_  More importantly how exactly would this new path alter her life for better or worse, just like all the other divots in the road that she'd gone through so far?

She was almost surprised that she couldn't wait to find out. Only the thought of Tyler squashed her eagerness but even that was quickly swept away and pushed out of her mind as she listened intently to Klaus' plan.

* * *

Rebekah glared down at the tourists milling about on the street below. She despised their enthusiasm, the lust for life that seemed to be in the air, mingling with laughter and music. She'd enjoyed this city once when they'd been passing through it, but any of the love she'd had for it was long gone and she wanted nothing more than to leave it. She shouldn't have been surprised that Elijah wasn't sure what he wished to do just yet. That he needed more information about it all.

She had been daggered when Katherine was in the picture but she'd seen it all play out once with Tatia, watched her usually loyal brother be played for a fool by the girl while toying with her other brother. She had seen Klaus' anger, his need for companionship and loyalty as she'd come to after he'd removed the dagger, had seen the bitterness between Elijah and Niklaus, the ripple of distrust easily growing into a chasm with time.

Some days she thought that only the threat of Mikael and a promise never quite kept was all that had Elijah sticking around. That and his always flickering belief that there was still some resemblance of the boy they had known somewhere in Klaus. Maybe there was, just as the girl she'd been was somewhere inside her, and the man Elijah had almost been was somewhere inside of him. Too much had happened though for any of them to ever return to whom they had been. No amount of redemption would ever get them back to the start.

But that was life. One was never the same person in the end as they had been born.

She felt Stefan's presence long before he spoke but refused to turn around, not wanting to hear his justifications. Maybe she was the girl who loved too easily, who yearned for it more than anything else, but she  _knew love._  She'd experienced it a few times before, tricked herself into thinking she was in love with others, but amongst all her various suitors there had been those she had truly loved.

Alexander had been one. His betrayal cutting a hole in her heart that could never quite be repaired. Doing the same to her relationship with Nik. He'd never trusted her the same again after that, even if he wouldn't be parted from her side. His dealings with her lovers had taken a horrid turn after that one as well. Most never made it a week once Klaus realized she was in love again.

Rebekah knew she had been falling for Stefan back in the twenties. Maybe it hadn't quite been love, not enough time for it to become that, but the spark had been there, the longing, the need. She was certain it would have developed into something deep if not for Mikael having found them.

"I wasn't defending Katherine," Stefan started, and Rebekah scoffed at that, hands gripping the railing tightly. "I don't care what you say to her, Rebekah, unless it has to do with Caroline."

_Caroline._  Her eyes narrowed at the name, annoyed further by the cheerleader's mention. "Believe me, the last thing we want is Katherine Pierce knowing about Klaus' obsession with her," Stefan continued, coming to stand by her.

Rebekah was ready to rip him a new one but she had to concede his point. As much as the other blonde annoyed her, having Katherine try to use Caroline as a pawn against Nik could be catastrophic and as angry as her brother made her, as much as she did was him to suffer, she couldn't quite bring herself to wish for him to lose out on love. Even if he'd been the one to take hers so many times.

"I won't bring her up again," Rebekah muttered, refusing to look at Stefan, her gaze locked on the crowd below.

"Thanks." He made a move to leave her on the balcony but there were things she needed to say and he was going to listen.

"Your emotions weren't off," Rebekah started and she could feel him freeze at that, no doubt he was turning back to look at her. "Oh, I know that's what everyone thinks. You do your Ripper Stefan when you're off the wagon, but that doesn't mean your emotions were off then. They weren't. You were happy." She glanced over at him. "I won't say you were in love, I wasn't, but I was falling and so were you."

He didn't deny it, simply sighed and didn't move from the spot near the door. "I'm not that guy, Rebekah."

"No, because you're afraid of what everyone will think of you," she continued and looked back at the street, not really caring what he thought of her analyzing him. "Afraid they'll all know that all you had really done was finally embrace what you are and now you're back to hiding from it." For a girl. For that damn doppelganger. What was so special about her anyway? Rebekah had never figured that out, she doubted that she ever would. "We're not human, Stefan. The morals they have don't pertain to us in the same ways. We have to forge our own. They eat animals as we eat them."

"They don't go around slaughtering them for pleasure," Stefan pointed out and she laughed at the naivety of that answer. She'd expect it from a baby vamp, not from one as old as him, but he'd been stifling himself for years.

"Tell that to the hunters. Or better yet, ask the animals. I'm sure the cows and chickens would beg to differ. It's called the circle of life. Humans are simply not the top of the food chain. We are." She turned around then fixing her gaze with his. "Anyway, that doesn't matter right now. What does matter are some cold, hard truths. Such as that taking the cure won't wash away the sins of the past. It won't erase all either of us have done. And I've no doubt our enemies would be all too happy to slaughter any children we might have to make us pay penance."

She saw the horror in his eyes at that, the startling realization that what she said was a very real possibility. They both had enemies, her more so than him, but one didn't go around being a Ripper without hurting far too many families over the centuries.

"I'm not willing to pay that price," Rebekah told him and headed past him and back into the hotel. She walked away from the street full of happiness as she let go of a dream she'd never quite believed would ever become reality anyway.

* * *

It was utter chaos inside of Vincent's house and every single detail of it seemed like pure perfection for Klaus. A chorus of screams played out their own melodic symphony, echoing through the home as villagers and witches fell dead at his feet.

The villagers were not by his hand but the witches were using them as a barrier just as he'd predicted or sending them flying their way as a means to try and slow the vampires and Hybrid down. It's hardly effective and it seemed that sending in the villagers through all the various points of entry had thrown the witches off balance. He enjoyed when scenarios played out how he wanted, allowing him to stick to the original plan, not that he didn't have a plethora of other ones at his disposal. He never did like going into a situation without knowing multiple ways to get what he wanted. Sometimes it couldn't be helped, but Klaus rarely allowed for anyone to put him in situations where he was unable to have an upper hand.

From the setup of the candles and the fact that the majority of the witches had been kneeling, Klaus had a feeling they had been performing a spell, no doubt either attempting to reconnect with him and force his hand again or a locator spell to try and find the other two.

They had certainly found them.

It was a quick thrust; grab, tug and hearts were removed from chests, bodies dropping to the floor. Or a simple flinging of whatever was nearest to him: a plate, a candle holder, a villager, and heads were off before the witch could utter a word. It was a dance he knew all too well, one he'd perfected over the years and enjoyed partaking in every so often. Even if it did remind him of an all too recent betrayal and the necessary deaths of the last of his hybrids.

Well, almost all of them. Still the annoying little upstart to deal with eventually.

His gaze moved to see how the other two were fairing, not that he actually allowed Caroline to be too far from him, easily keeping himself mere steps from her in case she needed help. He shouldn't have worried, while she had hesitated with the first witch, her little morals left over from her human days nearly getting the best of her, she'd become quite adapt to the dance after that. She had less finesse with killing than Vincent or he did, but Klaus was certain she'd become quite skilled with time.

Of course that would all depend on if she managed to handle what she'd done afterward. She hadn't broken down after killing the other witches but those had threatened her mother. These had threatened her own life and Klaus was aware of how little Caroline seemed to value herself against others. He would simply need to ensure that she saw reason if the guilt tried to overwhelm her.

It had done so to him once, during that first kill, but once he'd turned and Mikael and his mother had tried to break his spirit he hadn't regretted a kill. They had broken Niklaus, the boy who could never quite stand up to that tyrant, too weak to ever find his own way.  _Klaus_  wasn't weak and he'd made certain everyone he crossed paths with knew that. Anyone who made him feel even a sliver of weakness met with the same fate.

Except the blonde currently ramming candelabra into a witch's chest.

Klaus whipped around, tearing off the head of another and tossed it to the side, smiling as he realized that was the last of the witches. The villagers who survived stood around in a daze, unsure what to do now that their compelled task was complete. They would need to be compelled again, made to forget the ordeal, get their dead buried, probably have them bury the witches as well. Though he'd love to burn the lot of them. Maybe he would.

"Vincent," Klaus beckoned and motioned toward the remaining group, certain his protégé would know what to do.

The other vampire simply nodded and ushered the group out of the room, leaving Klaus alone with a dead coven and Caroline Forbes. He turned toward her, steeling himself for the onslaught of guilt, not entirely certain how he'd even go about helping her through that. Death was part of who she was now and  _this_  had been defending them all. Technically defending the world considering what the witches were conspiring to do.

She was rising from the floor, staring down at the witch she had killed before looking over at him, and he sucked in a breath at the pure lust he saw there. Her eyes were darkened, none of her irises shining through, but it was those fangs bared, the blood smeared on her face, on her stolen clothes and into her hair that his eyes locked onto first. He knew this was her bloodlust getting the better of her, every emotion she had pumping on overdrive.

The need for release was always under the surface, waiting to be fulfilled, and now that the release from killing had been, the other primal urges were demanding the same treatment. Klaus doubted that Caroline even knew what she was doing and he reeled his own need back, forced himself to maintain control as her desire filled the air around him, taunting him as he watched her.

He was going to talk her down, point out that it was simply her emotions controlling her at the moment because he  _needed_  this to be something she truly wanted, not simply her bloodlust playing with her inhibitions. But Caroline was in front of him before he could speak, hands shoving him into one of the few remaining upright chairs, following after him. His body slammed down onto it, but Klaus hardly cared as Caroline straddled his body before kissing him hard, matching the intensity he had back in the water and he wasn't about to let her go, nor would he be telling her to stop.

Not now. Not when she initiated this all over again.

There was no hesitation on his part, his hands sliding down her back to cup her ass, pulling her even closer and he smirked as she moaned at the contact, her mouth never leaving his, tongue demanding entrance. His hands moved up her back again before tangling in her hair and giving a little yank to stop her exploration. She practically hissed at the loss of contact, her eyes narrowed and darker than he had ever seen. She squirmed in his lap before pressing her hips down and forward, seeking contact of some kind.

Klaus grinned at her, pleased when she reciprocated the look, enjoying the wildness to her gaze that seemed to soften at that and he eased his grip on her hair. He pressed his lips to the corner of her mouth, delighting in her annoyed sigh before he moved down to her neck, lips, teeth and tongue alternating on her skin. Her whimpers and the hands moving to fist into his shirt coupled with the steady pressing of her hips against him was shattering his already tenuous grip on control.

He knew she wasn't shy about sex; after all she'd tried to initiate a round back when he had been in Tyler's body, but having her push him back against the chair before pulling her shirt off and tossing it to the side was still startling, even if it was eagerly welcomed. Her chest was bare to him, streaks of red against her skin from all of the blood that had soaked through the fabric, and Klaus leaned forward, enjoying the way she tensed against him as he licked the blood from her collarbone.

She was an absolute vision, his very own angel of death and like hell would he ever be able to let her go now. His teeth grazed her collarbone, not breaking skin, and he couldn't help but smirk against her skin as she moaned. Klaus pulled her closer still as her hips pressed against him, hands in his hair, tugging at his curls as he licked and sucked the blood off of her inch by agonizing inch.

There was still so much that needed to happen, far too many tasks that they needed complete to stop the rise of Silas and keep Mikael and Esther contained, the key laced around her neck and nestled between her breasts a stark reminder of that, but it was all pushed from Klaus' mind, none of it taking any priority as one of her hands released its grip on his hair and snaked between their bodies to work on unbuttoning his pants.

Klaus palmed her breasts and the hand she still had in his hair moved to his shoulder, fingers biting into his skin as he took an already hardened nipple into his mouth. Her entire body seemed to arch at the contact, head lolling backward and her hand stilling, current task forgotten for the moment. He could hear Vincent just beyond the doorway, hesitating, no doubt listening in for a moment before his footsteps faded into the distance.

There would be no one to interrupt them and Klaus relished the thought but it was short lived as she tensed in his arms and not because of what he was doing to her. He could feel her coming down from her high, her fingers shaking where she was touching him, rational thought no doubt finally settling into her brain again and he frowned, so close to lashing out before she could, to put up the barrier so she couldn't hurt him in the only way she ever did. Funny how harsh words from her cut deeper than any sword or dagger ever could.

He never got the chance to though, not as Caroline pressed her forehead into his chest, hands curling into his shirt as she tried to get her breathing under control. He waited a few moments, uncertain what to do with his hands, how to react to what she was doing, but eventually Klaus pulled her closer, running a soothing hand down her bare back as she got her emotions under control.

"I'm…gonna go see if Vincent has anything that I can change into," she murmured, untangling herself from him, arm covering her breasts as she scrambled to pick up her shirt from the floor.

"I wonder, sweetheart, how long do you think you can keep on running from what you are?" Klaus asked. His mouth pulled back into a tight grimace as he watched her scurrying about. His words had the desired effect, her back becoming rigid, that delightful fire snuffing out the timidness she had briefly displayed.

"I'm not," Caroline replied, pulling the shirt on and Klaus didn't doubt for a moment that she'd deliberately shown off her chest as she did so. "I just know that everything is  _twisted_ right now and _yes_  my emotions are running crazy but  _no_  I don't know what that means right now and its seriously not the important thing to focus on when the entire world is like so on our shoulders right now.  _That's_  what we need to be thinking about. Not  _this._ " He quite enjoyed the way she motioned between the two of them. " _Whatever_  this is. Also I  _so know_  that your stupid alpha maleness would so take sex as like cementing the fact that you'd totally never let me go." She turned on her heel and was out the door before he could respond, leaving Klaus alone in the room.

He stared at the closing door and leaned back in the chair. Hadn't she figured out by then that he wasn't going to be letting her go no matter what? If anything her pulling back was enticing the wolf inside of him even more, the desire to claim her as his intensifying, but he would wait. He would continue to exert the utmost patience with her until she was ready and Klaus didn't doubt for a moment that one day she would be. The lake and what had just happened only helped to cement in his mind that she would come around, that Caroline Forbes was as drawn to him as he was to her, and he wouldn't rest until she finally saw where her loyalties and love were meant to lie.

He also meant to drill it through her head that  _she_  was important, something that seemed Caroline was unable to grasp or accept and he blamed her so-called friends for that fact. He'd be all too happy to help drill that into their heads as well, in much less pleasant ways than he would with her.

There was a knock on the door followed by Vincent peaking his head in. "Shall I have the villagers dispose of this lot as well?"

Klaus simply nodded. "The clothes you were wearing when you transformed are ruined but I managed to find your necklaces and ring. I've set out a fresh set of clothes for you in one of the rooms as well if you'd like to freshen up while I deal with the rest of this," Vincent continued as he walked over to hand over the items. "Caroline is already utilizing the facilities in hers."

Klaus nodded again, looping his necklaces and placing on the ring as he stood. "I'll need to make a long distance call when I'm finished and you've let us retrieve what we came here." Hopefully the others had completed their tasks without as much trouble as he'd gone through. He doubted it though. It seemed Silas' followers were upping the ante and he wouldn't be surprised if everyone was dealing with their own roadblocks.

"Of course." Vincent held open the door, head bowed as Klaus headed into the hallway before moving to show him where to go. "I'll pull out what I have about Silas from my library as well. Just in case it can give you anymore needed insight."

"It seems you're still of some use to me," Klaus commented as he entered the bedroom, watching his old protégé smile at that, pleased he was being helpful. "I do so hate wasting my blood on those unworthy of it."

Vincent bowed his head again. "I'll go pull those materials now."

Klaus watched him turn and walk away, satisfied that Vincent remembered his place that the vampire hadn't forgotten who he was and what he could do, that he held the appropriate amount of respect for him. Perhaps once this Silas business was over, he'd ensure that others thoroughly learned that lesson as well. Some definitely needed a refresher course while others needed to be taught it for the first time. He really did enjoy enforcing that lesson.

Closing the door he heard the water running in the nearby room and smiled, easily picturing Caroline under the shower head. He would enjoy teaching her far more pleasurable lessons when the time came and she was finally willing to truly embrace who she had become. He doubted it would be too long for that to occur and headed off to his own adjoining bathroom, needing to release some tension that hadn't been sufficiently satiated.

He never got the opportunity, a loud crash at the end of the hallway alerting him to another's presence, and Klaus headed out to see who was creating the disturbance. A man he'd never seen before was standing before Vincent who was sprawled against the wall, stakes pinning his arms to it. "Ah ah ah," the man tsked, glancing over his shoulder at Klaus. "I wouldn't go trying to tear off my head just yet. Hunter." He pointed to himself, smirking and Klaus scowled at that, hating the blasted group and the little curse that went along with killing them.

Klaus heard the shower shut off and  _she_ was his priority. Vincent would have to take care of himself and Caroline had the key to the vault. They could always come back and retrieve the bones later. "Besides I'm here to help," the man continued, stopping Klaus' silent reverie. "I'd really rather not but the damn spirits are insistent that you lot are actually going to help us stop Silas. Infinitely more important than killing either of you."

"What's going—?" Caroline started as she opened the door and Klaus whirled around, eyes flashing yellow at her, his very tenuous grip on control slipping.

"Get back in that room," he demanded, thankful that for once she didn't argue with him and simply closed the door. Klaus turned back toward the Hunter who was pulling the stakes out of Vincent's arms.

"I know better than to harm the girl," the Hunter started, doing nothing to alleviate Klaus' frustration with the situation. "The map was to here the other day." He touched a spot on his bare arm and while Klaus couldn't see anything he did remember that it had been about that long when he'd had Jeremy Gilbert draw what he could see on Connor. "Yesterday it grew all the way to here." His fingers moved to the nearest collarbone. "Means someone is killing vampires by the droves and I wouldn't be surprised if it's completed soon. You need me."

"Perhaps," Klaus replied, tucking away the new pieces of information. "But you do not need any of us."

"According to the Spirits I do," the Hunter pointed out and Klaus smiled, pleased that the man seemed to flinch at the rage reflected in it.

"I hardly trust those who've tried to kill me on a number of occasions." Or helped to imprison his wolf side.

"From what I hear you don't trust anyone," the Hunter replied, dropping the stakes to the floor.

Vincent remained against the wall though, not trying to attack, and Klaus had a feeling his protégé knew what would happen if a vampire killed a Hunter. "Give Lucy a call. Tell her Vaughn found you. She'll vouch for me," the man continued, and Klaus pressed his lips together, further annoyed the situation. As if he trusted that witch either. "Look. You can lock me up however you need. Take any weapons I have on me. It's not like any of you are stupid enough to kill me and like I said, I need you alive."

It was true, Klaus wouldn't kill him, nor would he allow Caroline to do so either. Vincent perhaps, but if the man was right about the mark growing then they would need access to that map and there were no guarantees at the moment that anyone else had located a Hunter. Would be best to keep him around for the night at least until he was certain they didn't have use for him.

Half an hour later and Vaughn was secured in the makeshift dungeon. Unfortunately no one was answering his phone calls. Klaus hardly thought that boded well for how the others were doing with their tasks. He headed to Caroline's room and walked inside, not surprised to find her sitting on the bed. "Can you finally tell me what the hell is going on?" she demanded, and he tried not to smile at her annoyance, knowing it would only set her off further.

"A Hunter has decided to grace us with his presence," Klaus replied, sitting down on one of the chairs in the small sitting area. "Says the Spirits told him to seek us out and work together." He enjoyed the way she bit her bottom lip as she took in that information, her mind no doubt working a mile a minute. "Vincent and I have him locked up until I can see if any of the others have located their own Hunter and of course none of them are answering." There would be hell to pay if they were actively ignoring him. He doubted it but at the same time couldn't help the paranoia that still considered that to be an option.

"You should sleep. Who knows when the opportunity to do so will happen again," Klaus suggested, not budging from the chair. He wasn't about to leave her alone, not when he didn't trust the Hunter. It wasn't as if he'd be able to get any sleep knowing Vaughn was just down the hall, no doubt memories of his lost years would plague Klaus if he even attempted sleep.

Caroline looked ready to say something, her mouth even opened and he waited for her to protest that he needed to leave, but instead she simply shifted in the bed so she could turn off the light before getting under the covers. "Thank you," she murmured after some time, breaking the silence.

Klaus didn't reply, listening to the rest of the house, making note of where everyone was located, but he did smile. He couldn't help the warmth that ran through him whenever she did thank him. She was the only one who'd done so and meant it without coercion in a very long time.

* * *

Bonnie hated what had just happened, what Eddie had endured just so more of the damn mark could grow. It had been brutal to watch and listen to the deaths of the vampires and that was all she could do as she stood on the outskirts of the house they called home with the rest of the Coven, chanting the spell that kept them locked inside as he tore his way through killing every last one of them. Any that manage to somehow slip through were easily caught by Kol and thrown back into the mess.

It was the horror on those one's faces that ate away at Bonnie the most. The recognition when they saw the vampire who had created them before he threw them to their death that was going to haunt her. She didn't like vampires, not besides the handful she called her friends and her mother, but this just didn't seem right. How had it been different than what Valerie had tried to do?

"Oh cheer up, Bon Bon," Kol started once they were back in the car. Eddie was curled up next to her in the seat, worn out from all he'd accomplished as well as sedated so he didn't continue to try and attack Kol. She really wasn't sure why they didn't let him stake the Original. It wouldn't kill him and at least it'd get him to shut up. "They might have looked all cozy and charming in that little house, almost domestic, but I can guarantee you that they were enjoying little bloodbaths in there at least once a month. Could practically smell it in the linoleum."

She ignored him, not willing to rise to his bait, though it was hard to ignore the need to cause him just a little bit of pain. Instead she focused on Eddie; rubbing his back in what she hoped soothed him. The car lurched to a stop and she could swear she was going to get whiplash from how fast it had stopped.

"Driver fail," Eddie muttered, lolling his head to the other side as he rubbed his temples.

"Lucy why are we stopping?" Bonnie looked out the front window, eyes widening as she took in the scene on the road before them.

It was covered with bodies. How many she couldn't tell in the darkness, the only light coming from the car's headlights and the moon in the sky. But it was a lot, more than she'd ever seen before and she wondered how they had all gotten into the middle of the damn road and  _why._  This couldn't be good. She knew that much. "I'm not hearing any pulses," Kol muttered as he got out of the car.

Bonnie and Lucy followed after him, Eddie didn't budge. She could hear the car doors behind them opening as well and wondered how many of the Coven was also coming to see what was happening. "This can't be a coincidence," Lucy murmured, coming to stand by her.

One of the Coven members headed over to the nearest body, leaning down to check for a pulse. "I really don't think you want to do that," Kol called out, and Bonnie had to agree with him. This had all the makings of a horror movie and the first rule for that was to  _not_ go near the bodies in the middle of the road.

As if to add credence to Kol's words, one of the bodies in the middle of the lot sat up and pulled something out of his pocket. "Of course," Kol murmured, shaking his head. "I have to say this is rather ingenious." The lone one drank whatever he was holding and a shudder ran down Bonnie's spine and she was pretty sure she heard the others hold their breaths.

It didn't take more than a second for the man who'd been dead to look at them, eyes darkening and fangs dropping down. "They're all in transition," Kol continued, and headed back to the car, pulling Eddie out of the car and thrusting him toward the roadway, his groggy movements having Bonnie wonder how well he'd manage in this fight.

More were rising, all drinking from vials in their pocket and the one nearest the witch who'd gone to check for a pulse latched onto her leg once its fangs had descended. "Looks like we've got more vampires to kill," Kol stated as he yanked the witch away from the vampire, easily shoving it back to the road with his foot.

The Coven and Lucy were already moving forward, starting the spell again to contain the newly turned vampires that Eddie was heading toward. Bonnie didn't like this at all. This was a set-up; these people had sacrificed themselves to die twice. Once to become a vampire and the second time to help the map grow on Eddie's arm.

"Don't look so worried, darling," Kol told her as he sidled up to stand beside her. "We're one step closer to completing the map." Though he didn't seem as enthused as he sounded, attention flickering to the woods surrounding them, almost as if he was waiting for the next trap to be sprung.

Bonnie ignored him, her gaze focused on Eddie who was whipping through the crowd, killing as he moved. He would never recover from this. So much for her promise to help him. So much for her promises to help anyone. Nothing was going as planned but she had a feeling that had more to do with it never really having been  _her_ plan. She'd been following everyone else's since the start, simply changing whose she was following.

Perhaps it was time she finally made her own.

 


	20. Chapter 20

_Look at how a single candle can both defy and define the darkness." ―_ _Anne Frank_

* * *

"This isn't right," Bonnie muttered as she watched Eddie stumble through the growing crowd of vampires. He wasn't ready to fight again yet, not with the sedative that they had running through his body, he was barely managing to stay upright.

It didn't seem to matter to Kol who was trying to egg him on, shouting out pointers coupled with nonsense, nor did it seem to matter to the Coven who was putting up a barrier spell to keep the vampires  _and_  Eddie contained. Bonnie had  _promised_ to help him that he wouldn't meet the same fate as Jeremy, and she meant to keep that promise.

There would be no more following others' rules, no more being a piece to maneuver on anyone else's chess board. It was time for the board to become  _hers_  and for her to start moving around the pieces. "This isn't right," she shouted, her voice finally audible for all to hear.

She wasn't surprised when none of them listened to her. "Someone put these people here. Someone killed them, had convinced them that turning was the best idea, and left them all to die."

The Coven continued on with their chant still ignoring her, but Kol was at her side. "Why look a gift horse in the mouth?" he asked, sweeping his arm out toward the lot of vampires as he placed his other around her shoulders. "We'll be one more step along toward getting that map when he's finished with this lot."

She shrugged him off. " _If_ he finishes with them before getting himself killed," she pointed out, fixing him with a pointed glare. "And he's not the only one whose mark will grow. There should be five Hunters and maybe usually if one dies it takes a significant time before the next one comes into play since most people aren't randomly killing vampires in their day to day lives. But  _now_ every circumstance is being manipulated so that Silas can rise and so every Hunter will get that mark revealed at the same time."

Bonnie paused, watching as Kol seemed to comprehend what she was getting at. "We're nowhere near an airport and we have no idea where the map will eventually lead. From what Lucy and you said we need certain ingredients in order to destroy Silas and we don't have them all yet. So if the mark is completed before we do—"

"We're fucked," Kol finished, and Bonnie could hear the tenseness in his voice. He headed toward the barrier but was unable to pass through. "Take it down!"

Bonnie didn't like the frenzy to his voice and movements. Wasn't he supposed to be one of the more volatile siblings? She wouldn't be surprised if he ended up killing a witch or two in order to get inside and that was the last thing they needed to have happen. Not with how many witches had met their demise in the last few weeks.

"Let him in," she called out, focusing on the barrier and trying to disrupt it as she chanted a counter spell that she remembered, not entirely certain it would work.

The brief push against their invisible wall seemed to jolt Lucy out of what she was doing at least and she looked over at the two of them, seeing Bonnie's tense expression and Kol's murderous one. "Let the vampire inside," she ordered as she headed over to Bonnie. "What's going on? We need this. We need him to kill those guys. They're already dead, cuz. There's no turning them back to what they were before we found them in the middle of the road."

Bonnie watched Kol move through the crowd of transitioning vampires, easily disposing of the ones that Eddie hadn't gotten to yet, as she explained her issues with everything to Lucy. Eddie was stumbling still, his eyes glossy, and she kept her gaze on him, needing to make sure he would come out of the situation alive and not just because if they lost him now they would be even more screwed with trying to find Silas's resting place.

It didn't take long for Kol to kill the lot of vampires, the barrier coming down as soon as he'd done so. Bonnie headed straight to Eddie, helping him toward the car, his movements still too sluggish for her liking. She could hear the others bickering back and forth, arguing over what had happened, and let Lucy talk them down at first. She needed to make sure that Eddie was okay.

He rested his head against the headrest and offered up a small, reassuring smile. It was enough for now. She nodded at him and shut the car door before heading back over to the rest of them, watching Kol still in the middle of the dead vampires, searching them for anything that might give answers on who'd set it all up.

"He could have gained so much more of the mark—"

"I told you we shouldn't have trusted that vampire—"

"I don't care what the Spirits say—"

They were all talking over one another, no one really listening, and Bonnie  _knew_  they had all dealt with horrible blows in the last few weeks, that they had lost friends and loved ones as well, but she knew that all of the arguing wasn't going to help anyone. If anything it would only create more chaos for them to deal with and there was already enough of that happening.

"There is going to be no more killing of vampires," Bonnie started, sighing when they continued speaking over her.

She took a deep breath, trying to remain calm, to not explode at them like she wanted, but the constant chatter made that difficult to accomplish. She headed back to the car and opened the driver's side door, leaning over to start beeping the horn. It took a few times before the arguing stopped and they were all looking at her.

"Finally," she sighed as she closed the door. "There will be no more killing of vampires until we have all of the pieces that we need.  _This—"_  she pointed out to the vampires. "—was orchestrated. _Someone_  out there wanted Eddie to kill them all, to bring the map one step closer to completion and I wouldn't be surprised if there are even more plans like this one in place happening right now to try and get the mark finished. We need it done eventually, but not yet, not until we have what we need."

Bonnie watched the realization pass through each witch, weight lifting off her shoulders at the fact she wouldn't have to explain it further. "We need to get all the pieces and group up with everyone so when the map is complete we'll be ready to do this."

She didn't doubt for a moment that the time for that to happen would come sooner than she liked, especially since she still needed to learn the spell, but it couldn't come to pass before they had all of the ingredients. Otherwise the world was doomed and Bonnie couldn't accept that, not with all they had lost so far. Their deaths deserved to have been for something.

"Not to interrupt the pep talk, darling," Kol called out, and Bonnie turned toward him, wondering what he'd found. "But I believe I've found who they were all working for." He lifted up a torn off arm, and she tried not to gag as he showed them the tattoo. "This would be the mark that the Cult of Silas branded on their bodies a few centuries back. Seems to be all the rage again considering nearly everyone at my feet is sporting one somewhere on their arm." He dropped the arm, wiping his bloody hands on his pants as he headed toward her. "Seems you were right about this being a setup."

She wasn't sure if she should feel good or not about that because it meant someone was upping the game that she still wasn't entirely sure how to play. "We need to move the bodies," Lucy pointed out. It needed to happen for them to cross the road.

"Destroy them," Kol piped up. "Unless you'd like the locals to stumble across a massacre."

So much for heading off right away. Kol was right and leaving the evidence of nearly fifty dead people on the side of the road wasn't a good idea but she wasn't sure they'd have the time to properly deal with all of the bodies. "Put up your barrier spell again and burn them. Should take care of the lot pretty quickly," Kol continued as he headed toward Bonnie.

Lucy nodded to her before ushering the Coven over to do what Kol had suggested. Bonnie tried not to think about how the dead people's families would never know what happened to them. She'd lived with that for so long because of her mother and hated to do that to another kid but she really couldn't see an alternative.

"I think I'll call my brother now and see how he's fairing. Hopefully he's working on getting the bones and not into your friend's pants. Though I suppose it'll all depend on how good the service is out here. It's been atrocious these last few days," Kol continued, and Bonnie narrowed her eyes at that, remembering that Caroline was with Klaus. "You can call Stefan and see how my sister and him are doing with finding that stone. I doubt any of her attempts at his pants are getting anywhere."

"You call your sister. I'll call Caroline," Bonnie snapped. She needed to make sure her friend was okay, needed to hear Caroline's voice.

"I'll need his number and you'll need her new number," Kol replied as he pulled out his phone. "Didn't feel the need for her to have her phone when we set off on our little trip."

"You mean when you kidnapped her," Bonnie muttered, glaring at him.

"I prefer to think of it as a bonding experience," he countered as he handed her his phone and held out his hand for her to hand over her own. "Especially if Nik gets his way and I have to deal with her presence for eternity and considering its Nik, he'll get his way. He's fairly persistent."

"Caroline would never go for a monster like him," Bonnie replied, scoffing at the very idea of it. Klaus didn't fit at all within the parameters that Caroline had wanted in a boyfriend since Junior High. He wasn't Prince Charming, he wasn't even the Beast. He was the wolf that was beaten in the end and sent howling from Granny's house.

"Oh darling," Kol smirked at her, all teeth and full of amusement. "You seem to be forgetting that she's a monster now too. And considering what this Coven has allowed to happen, what they're doing now, I'm not all that sure you should be pointing fingers."

He spun on his heel and headed off to the car, dialing away as she stared at his back, his words ringing in her ears, the truth of them making her body ache. Sighing she turned away only to be met by the scene of the witches chatting away as a bonfire of dead people lay a few feet in front of them. Bonnie closed her eyes, trying to push Kol's words out of her head before finally scrolling down to Caroline's number, hopeful that hearing her friend's voice would help everything make sense again.

She was at a loss for what to do if it didn't.

* * *

How Klaus thought she'd actually be able to sleep knowing that there was a Hunter in the house and after all that had happened in the last few hours was beyond Caroline. She wasn't tired. She wanted to be. She wanted to not think about  _anything_  for a few hours and simply dream the night away, but her mind seemed to have other plans. It was going a mile a minute, replaying moments one second and then trying to overanalyze others the next. Her body was also a jittery mess of nerves and while she wasn't fidgeting she did feel like it was entirely too awake, just waiting for the next bout of insanity to arise.

And then there was Klaus sitting in the chair not too far from her bed.

Thankfully he wasn't looking at her, no instead his gaze was on the doorway, eyes narrowed, looking entirely too tense, and hands draped over the arms of the chair. Funny how he managed to pull of looking demanding, dangerous and regal all at once. There was always that underlying current of menace with him, like a panther seemingly asleep in a tree but really ready to pounce on its prey at any moment. The charm, the caring, it all was twisted by his need to manipulate and while she didn't doubt his feelings toward her any longer—even if she didn't like admitting what they were out loud and wasn't ready to hear him say it—Caroline couldn't discount that everything Klaus did was to benefit himself in some way.

He saved her, was protective of her because he wanted her to eventually choose him, to be with him for the rest of her eternity, and that was hard to comprehend. Caroline couldn't even imagine twenty years down the road let alone five hundred. Even with her detailed, plotted out plans for the next twenty years she still didn't fully grasp what it all meant. She knew what she _couldn't_  have. Knew the bits and pieces that she'd needed to hack off from her human dreams, what to adjust from those as well. It was the thought of all she  _could_  have that was daunting. Some of them were things she was pretty sure she shouldn't want, instead meant to push them down deep, to force them into the back recesses of her mind never to be thought of again.

Case in point the Hybrid who was currently guarding her and the feelings he stirred up inside of her, longings she hadn't even realized she had, desires that she had squashed down so hard back when she'd turned, knowing they were dangerous, that they weren't human.

She wasn't human though, she was a vampire, a fact she'd embraced in some ways, but in others she'd pushed down and away, controlling them so they wouldn't surface, being the good one among her friends. Caroline knew they all thought it came easy to her, all the choices she made day in and day out, but they didn't. Some days were harder than others but she had made the conscious choice to not do what others did.

She wouldn't become Damon, wouldn't use people like he had used her.

She didn't want to become Katherine and kill people to send messages to others, to terrorize because she wasn't getting what she wanted, to be locked in some never ending need to survive while not caring about the welfare of others.

As much as she idolized Stefan she didn't want to become his Ripper side, didn't want the bloodlust to gain control and strip away the value she held for human life.

She didn't want to revel in the kill as Klaus seemed to do so.

Trying to push aside certain parts of her vampirism wasn't helping her either. Blood bags would probably always be her feeding choice if they were available, but she'd seen how difficult it could to be acquire them when she was outside of her hometown, and while animal blood could sustain her, Caroline knew she wouldn't want to sustain herself with it for centuries. Klaus had been right—and oh how the rankled her—she needed to be able to feed from humans.

She had control of everything else. She had managed just fine with the nurse. It was fear that held her back from doing it and not just from remembering how she'd drained the carnival worker. It was the fear of seeing Bonnie look at her like she had right after she'd turned. Or her mother looking at her with that mixture of horror and sadness and terror that Liz had displayed when Caroline had saved Damon and Stefan while terrorizing and killing the deputies. It was fear or losing people she loved because they couldn't handle what she had become.

She'd already lost her father and while the two had reconciled a bit before his death, Caroline knew deep down that he never really would have been okay with her being a vampire, that their relationship had changed too much for them to ever see one another as they had only months before. Change might have been inevitable, something she couldn't stop, but she had eternity now and she had hoped that meant she could slow it down some. Instead it only seemed to charge forth, steamrolling everything she knew to dust.

There would be no waiting fifty years to give into her vampire side. That plan was over, ripped to shreds in front of her eyes, and no amount of tape or glue would ever put it back together. Caroline Forbes had always been a planner, ever since she was a little girl, and she'd gone through many different plans, reworking the ones that had to be disposed of because of alterations out of her control. She would simply reorganize this one as well, though she wasn't entirely sure how to go about doing that at the moment.

She probably couldn't really go about figuring everything out until the whole Silas ordeal ended.

Which meant the only thing to focus on was the here and now and that meant facing some things she wasn't ready to deal with. Case in point the Original sitting on the chair, facing the doorway, ready to pounce on any threat that might dare disturb her.

"Why didn't your wolf try to kill me?"

The question was out of her mouth before she could stop it and she cringed, hating how her vocal chords so often got ahead of her mind, talking before she had time to think things through.

Klaus turned toward her and Caroline hated that she couldn't quite read his expression that she couldn't figure out what was going on in his head in that moment. She didn't like when that happened, despised when the dynamics between them were tipped even more so in his favor, preferring when they were slanted in her direction, when she was able to believe she held some kind of power in their relationship.

Not that they had a relationship.

God, she was in so much trouble.

"It's like hardwired into wolves, isn't it? At least that's what I always heard and being on the receiving end of a few werewolf attacks I'm kind of buying into that," she continued, unable to stop speaking, the words simply spilling from her mouth of their own accord. "And I don't think it's the sun and moon thing that had everyone up in arm— _thanks to you—_ and attacking one another while in their human form." She vividly remembered Brady's intense hatred of her for merely being a vampire. Maybe that was deeply rooted prejudice passed down through the generations but then why did Tyler's wolf or Mason's even seek out the vampires when they were in the woods? That couldn't be prejudice. That was instinct.

Yet, Klaus' wolf hadn't harmed her. He'd tried to offer comfort, seemed worried about her. Though she did remember him snapping once or twice at her through her vervained haze, but had that been the wolf or the witches screwing with his mind? "You tore Vincent apart. Dug into him without a care and you've known him  _for ages._ " Whereas Klaus knew her for a few months, not even a full year yet, and he'd tried to help her.

"You know why I didn't attack you, Caroline," Klaus replied and she sighed at that, dropping her gaze while wishing she'd kept her mouth shut. "But you are correct. Wolves are hardwired to kill vampires, to hunt them and end them. Helps that their bite can so easily kill one on the full moon. I'm unsure how that came to be but I wouldn't be surprised if it had to do with the spell Esther used to turn my siblings and I. After all, magic always carries a price."

From every spell Caroline had seen performed she knew that was true about magic so it really wasn't that big a leap to take. "But it doesn't kill you or your siblings. So it's not much of a balance," she pointed out, happy to not need to touch on the first part of his answer.

"No, only those we create to live out a decade or so with us," Klaus countered, and she frowned at that. "Nature didn't seem to realize doing so only gave further incentive for the vampires to slaughter any wolves they came across. Their bite is only deadly on the full moon. Their human teeth won't do much damage to a vampire."

"Plus there was the whole sun and moon curse to spur on the hatred between the sides," Caroline murmured as she sat up, knowing there was little point to keep laying down when sleep wouldn't be coming anytime soon. "I bet you had a lot of fun watching everyone tear each other apart with that one."

Klaus simply shrugged all the while looking entirely too pleased with himself. "It got the job done. You really should sleep, Caroline. I meant it when I said there might not be time to do so again for quite some time and you're young. I doubt you've gone more than a night without sleep yet."

"Shows what you know," she informed him, trying not to grin back when he smiled, obviously amused by her response. "I didn't sleep at all the week before Homecoming." There had been a biology test and a history paper due, plus the fact that Tyler had become a Hybrid and Rebekah hanging around, and everything else that had been happening at that point. "And then I got forced into taking a nap."

"Ah yes, when I pointed out to Tyler that your little group of friends was acting suspicious at my party," Klaus mused, and she narrowed her eyes at his continued amusement.

"I'm so sure that the flooded gym was your fault now. Thanks so much for ruining my amazing party plans. We worked for over a week on those decorations." She would not pout, not in front of Klaus, but Caroline could vividly remember her disappointment over the news that night.

"I always did wonder what you thought of the soiree I planned in its stead." Klaus quirked a brow and she was taken back slightly by the eagerness in his voice before it was quickly masked with a trademark smirk.

"I didn't really get to participate in much. I was kinda knocked out for most of it," she muttered, remembering the needle and waking up hours later, thoroughly annoyed with Tyler. "I do remember being really annoyed with you after I realized it was  _you_  who had thrown it and not Tyler. Like how the hell did you go about throwing a better party than me, but you weren't dealing with a high school dance committee budget, so I let that slide."

"I'd also been planning the celebration of Mikael's death for a few more centuries than you had that dance, love," Klaus pointed out, and she had to concede that point as well. "I'm sure you'll surpass what I managed to pull off for some future engagement."

"I do have forever to top you." She couldn't help the teasing smile that accompanied that, wanted to smack her head for the touch of flirtation that had been in her voice.

"I look forward to seeing you do so, Caroline." He was out of the chair then and she swallowed at the predatory look in his eyes, the one that should have made her feel like his prey but was instead tugging at her own instincts, bringing out her predator side as well. She forced it down though, nails biting into the palm of her hand to try and remind her to stay in control. "I also look forward to seeing you do so many things once you allow yourself the experience."

"Uh huh. Things I'm sure you'd be more than happy to help me experience," Caroline murmured, unable to help rolling her eyes. The walls she desperately wanted to start building back up wouldn't cooperate with her though and so she changed tactics. "But actually, I want to work on my feeding." Caroline really didn't expect for her words to further entice him, to draw him to the bed and have Klaus sitting down on it, hand entirely too close to her blanket covered thigh. "Because blood bags aren't always available and I'd like to be able to do it without the whole feeding frenzy and leaving dead bodies in my wake thing. And I know I can do it considering I didn't kill the first person I drank from. It's just sucking it up and doing it at this point and not becoming..." Like Stefan.

"You've excellent control, Caroline," Klaus pointed out. "You don't have the disposition for becoming a Ripper." She wasn't surprised he knew what she feared.

"Maybe not," she conceded. "But I like people. I'm not sure how to rationalize wanting to be friends with some of them and treating others as food. How is that supposed to even work?"

Whatever Klaus's response would have been was interrupted by the ringing of his phone and she exhaled a breath she didn't even realize she'd been holding as he fished it out, looking none too pleased. She couldn't help but be thankful that the call had him rising from the bed and away from her for the moment.

"About time, brother," he snapped, and Caroline wondered how Kol and the others were fairing. She hoped he and Lucy had located Bonnie and was able to help her.

Klaus' eyes narrowed for a moment, obviously not liking what he was being told, and Caroline decided to be polite and not listen into the conversation. He was back in front of her in seconds and thrusting the phone into her hands, his expression turning even darker, and she frowned, wondering what had him wound so tight.

"Hello?" She really couldn't see why Kol would need to talk with her or why Klaus would let him. All his brother ever seemed to do was rile the two of them up.

"Caroline?" Hearing Bonnie's voice had Caroline practically leaping out of the bed, no longer able to stay sitting in the confines of the blankets, needing to move.

"Bonnie?  _Oh my god_. Are you okay? What's going on? Where are you?" A million questions asked in succession, no breath in between them, so thankful to finally hear a familiar voice. Bonnie who she'd known since before elementary school, a link to everything she had been yanked far away from, and was still trying to cling to even if Caroline knew the time to stop doing so was fast approaching.

"One question at a time, Care," Bonnie replied, and she heard her friend's laughter and Caroline didn't know if she should laugh or cry at that, all of her emotions rising to the top, wanting to burst forth and consume her.

Klaus was back in the chair, looking murderous, and Caroline turned from him, ignoring the sound of wood being bent as he mangled the arms of the seat while he watched her flutter about the room. "Are  _you_  okay? Kol said you're with  _Klaus_ ," Bonnie continued, and the venom in her friend's voice at Klaus's name had Caroline sputtering to a stop, feet seeming frozen to the floor.

"I'm safe, Bon. You don't have to worry about me," Caroline promised, still purposefully not looking at the Hybrid.

"You can't be safe if you're with him," Bonnie protested, and Caroline shut her eyes at that, listening to her friend list off all the reasons it wasn't safe to be with him.

She heard the wood crack behind her and turned toward Klaus, frowning as she took in the broken chair and sensed the anger coming off of him in waves. "Look, I know you don't trust Klaus and I cannot blame you on that even a bit. I don't trust him with a lot of things," Caroline started, and the amber of Klaus' eyes was more pronounced, but she didn't fear it, didn't fear him. Could he really fault her for not trusting him with everything that had ever happened between them?

Caroline locked her gaze with his before continuing, "But what I  _do trust_ is that he will keep me safe. That he will protect me. He won't let anything happen to me. So just let it go, Bonnie." He'd shown that to her on more than one occasion and Caroline didn't doubt that he would continue to do so. Maybe that made her naive but she didn't think so. Not this time.

He'd shown Caroline that he valued her life, something she still didn't quite understand or well,  _didn't want to understand._  Hell,  _his wolf_  hadn't harmed her even so Caroline felt she was justified in her belief.

There was a loud crash from outside the room, reminding Caroline of the commotion she had heard when she'd been showering, and her gaze flickered to the door as Klaus moved toward it. "One second, Bonnie," Caroline murmured into the phone as she headed toward it as well.

Klaus had her across the room and pinned to the wall in a second, the phone dropped onto the floor somewhere in all of the commotion. She could hear Bonnie calling out for her through it, could hear the Hunter calling up from wherever they had locked him away, as well as Vincent struggling in the distance.

"Do not leave this room," Klaus told her, his hybrid features in full bloom. "I will compel you, Caroline. Don't think I won't." She opened her mouth to protest that, to remind him that doing so would have her hating him forever. "I have an eternity for you to forgive me for it.

He was out of the room before she could respond and she hissed at that, hating that she was being forced to stay put, and moved to pick up the phone instead. "I'm here, Bonnie. Sorry about that."

"What the hell is going on, Caroline? Are you okay?" her friend demanded, and Caroline tuned her out for a moment, focusing on the conversation between Klaus and Vincent, eyes widening as she took in what they were saying.

"The witches we killed are in transition. They're getting the Hunter," Caroline murmured, wondering how much more was needed before the mark would be completed.

"No, Caroline, you need to stop them," Bonnie urged, and Caroline frowned at that, wondering why Bonnie would want that stopped. Didn't Kol and Lucy fill her in on the plan? "We're not ready yet. We still need a few things in order to destroy Silas. Someone is manipulating this situation and I have a feeling it's not in a way that will help us out. If the Hunter kills enough vampires to complete the mark before we're ready…We only know where two Hunters are now. Who knows if Silas' followers have one of their own at their disposal?"

Caroline's eyes widened as she put everything together. "If the mark is completed then they have the map just like us..."  _Crap._

"And Silas will rise and the world as we know it will be gone forever," Bonnie finished for her and Caroline let out a long sigh.

"I'll call you back," she murmured, hanging up before Bonnie could answer and dropped the phone onto the nearby chair. Caroline only hoped that Klaus would  _listen_  before snapping her neck or compelling her out of harm's way.

* * *

Tyler had no idea where the vampires had come from. One moment he'd been listening to stories around one of the campfires and the next the entire campground had been invaded by the monsters. He should have known that sending out scouts to sniff out any local vampires would have consequences. He knew how bad the rivalry between the two supernaturals could be, he'd just thought it might have died down after learning the whole sun and moon curse was fake. Except not everyone seemed to know that little detail. The wolves might have all heard whispers of the Hybrid coming to turn them but that didn't really go hand in hand with the curse that was supposed to relieve them of turning at the full moon. He really needed to get that news out there. Not that it'd matter in the end because wiping vampires off the face of the planet was one of his current goals. There would be no point in worrying about that rivalry once that happened.

He'd never expected the vampires to come out to attack them though. Not even with how Damon had taken out his Uncle. Especially not with how many wolves were all gathered in the area. From what his scouts had said the nearby vampire population wasn't even that big.

Certainly wasn't supposed to contain as many vampires as were coming out of the woodwork, attacking anything that moved. Didn't matter if they were wolf or human, adult or child. They were just trying to rip into throats and bleed everyone dry or rip them apart.

The wolves might have their added strength, even if wasn't quite as strong as they would have been on the full moon, but they didn't have their deadly venom at the moment while in human form.

Tyler did and he spread it as quickly as he could or simply ripping them apart. He tried not to think about another massacre in the woods, tried not to remember his friends' body parts littering the ground. He would not allow that to happen with this pack too. One dead member was too many.

At some point a new player stepped into the chaos followed by the wolves he'd sent out to find the Hunter. He didn't bother to watch the man work, knowing firsthand how good the Hunters were at attacking their intended prey. He did stop killing the vampires though, only subduing them so the Hunter could do his job and have more of his mark grow.

Tyler's focus turned to moving his pack out of the way, on assessing the damage, and making sure the children were somewhere safe. Once the Hunter had entered the game it all ended rather quickly, almost as if the vampires weren't even trying to fight him off. Nor were they attacking the wolves any longer. They were just standing in the middle of everything, being picked off one by one.

Tyler didn't know what to make of it, didn't like the surrender he saw in their eyes before they were killed. Something wasn't right but he couldn't figure out exactly what was wrong. He didn't have much time to contemplate it though as the Hunter whirled around onto him, ready to land a stake into his heart as well.

He might have gotten the chance to kill him if others in the pack hadn't stepped in, shrieking for the man to stop, not moving out of the way. Tyler tried to move so they wouldn't be in harm's way, knowing the Hunters would hurt others if they needed to get to him. He'd seen it all happen before and he wouldn't put his pack at risk again.

His second in command sent off a warning shot right near the Hunter's ear. "Take one more step toward him and I'll put a bullet through your head," Greg called out. "If I don't get you I'm sure one of the other handful of guns pointed your way will. We appreciate your help but you better get the hell away from our Alpha."

"You brought me here to help you deal with your vampire problem," the Hunter reminded, though allowed Tyler to slide out from under him.

"They did that because I asked them to," Tyler informed him, wiping the dirt off his pants and offering reassuring smiles to the worried crowd. "What would you say if I had a plan to eradicate at least one bloodline of the vampire race?" Possibly all of them, but Klaus was his focus. He really didn't care what happened to the rest of the Originals. "Something that can happen with your help."

The Hunter quirked a brow at that, silently assessing him for a moment before he grinned. "You're a different kind of vampire. I can tell that much, but how do I know I can trust you. And really, what the hell do I even need you for?"

"I'm a hybrid. Klaus forced his blood down my throat, killed me, and made me drink doppelganger blood to transition into this. I'm the one who broke the Sire bond and he's gotten killed or personally murdered every other one like me," Tyler started and the Hunter shrugged.

"Sucks to be you, kid, but I'm not seeing how you can help." The Hunter rested his hands on his knees as he continued to watch Tyler. "Spirits are telling me one thing and you're not in their plans."

Tyler kept his expression neutral, not wanting to give away his own doubt over the situation. He had no idea what he was talking about with the Spirits. Was this like Jules and Mason with him? He didn't know and he didn't care. But he needed to give the Hunter a reason to see him as useful.

"Have you ever dealt with Klaus? Do you know his weaknesses? Can you get close enough to kill him? A regular stake won't do it. But I can get what would." Or rather he could get Caroline to do that. If anyone could figure out where Klaus had the last white oak stake it would be her. He didn't really want to put her in that kind of position, didn't want her hanging around the monster any more than necessary, but if it would get Klaus Mikaelson out of their lives forever then it was worth the risk.

"You can keep on killing one vampire at a time for the rest of your life and you'll probably never kill them all. But if you kill one Original their bloodline dies. Every last one. We did it before. My friends and I. Took down an Original." Or well, the others had. "And isn't that what you guys want to do? Eradicate the vampire race?" That's what Tyler had gotten from the information overload Jules and Mason had given him, from the bits he'd heard from Stefan and Caroline when he'd bothered to listen to them, from his own encounter with Connor.

The Hunter's demeanor perked up at that even if he continued to study Tyler, though Tyler was at a loss for what he was looking for. "And what do you get out of this?"

"I just need the cure. To drink and not be  _this_  anymore, just be a wolf and not linked to him." Unlink Caroline as well. And Elena. "He killed my pack. He murdered my mom. I just want Klaus dead. I want wolves to be able to roam the world without ever having to worry about vampire attack again. We'll get you vampires to kill so your mark will grow. I'll get what's needed to take Klaus down. Get the cure, fix me, and you can fulfill your destiny."

The Hunter pushed himself off the ground and extended a hand toward Tyler. Guns were still trained on him, every wolf at the ready to take him down if necessary. "You've got yourself a deal."

Tyler took his hand, nodding as they shook on it. "Greg will get you a place to sleep. I need to see who needs to be medical treatment and what we can salvage." And where they could dispose of the vampires, but his pack would be checked over first, and then they'd deal with the dead.

* * *

" _Klaus!"_  Caroline shouted, her voice echoing through the house and Klaus could feel his rage boiling over, already having been at the tipping point, as he altered his course from heading toward the Hunter back toward her.

Had he not told her to stay in the room? Did she think he was bluffing, that he wouldn't compel her in order to keep her safe? He didn't want to take that free will from her, to tip the scales in such a way that would have her hating him for who even knew how many centuries, but it was far better option than watching her die and scouring the world for a way to bring her back. She might have been a vampire and had the added strength of one, but she wasn't a match for a Hunter—nor would he want her to deal with the Hunter's Curse if she did manage to accidentally kill the man—and while she could most likely take on some newly turned vampires he wasn't about to take that chance.

Not when the witches priorities had been for Caroline to die only a few hours before. Klaus doubted those priorities had changed much since their deaths. He was curious as to  _why_  the witches had drunk vampire blood though, knew it needed to be in their system in order for them to have transitioned. Willingly cutting off their line from magic was something he'd never seen before. He'd forced it upon witches a time or two but actually having witches purposefully transition was something he'd never seen before. It probably had to do with Silas, their belief in some ancient immortal and what he could offer them, and their fanaticism only bolstered his belief that they'd focus on killing Caroline if they saw her.

This was why he didn't love. This weakness that she represented so clearly. This vulnerability that he couldn't seem to carve out of himself and yet someone else could so easily take it from him, rip her from his reality without him being able to do anything but rain down terror and pain on any who touched her. Klaus didn't think he would ever understand how Caroline had managed to bury herself so deeply inside of him, into his veins, etched into his muscles, carved herself into his bones. There was not a layer to him that she hadn't saturated with her presence and he was a selfish man—there was no changing that, not after a thousand years of always eventually getting what he wanted—he would have her, no matter how long it took for her to realize that he was just as deeply etched into every fiber of her being as well.

"You can't let the Hunter kill them. Apparently there was a whole set up with Bonnie and her Hunter as well and they think Silas' followers are manipulating everything because we're not ready yet to—" He grabbed her arms, dragging her toward the nearest doorway. In the distance he could hear Vincent trying to hold off the witches while trying not to harm them, wanting to leave them for the Hunter to slaughter. " _Ow!_  Let go of me!"

"I warned you," Klaus bit out as the door slammed shut behind them, still holding onto her, knowing that his grip was painful, but he couldn't seem to let up. "Stay in the room. Out of sight. Not yelling across this house for me, alerting them to your whereabouts."

"I had to warn you!" she protested, and he despised the fear that ran through her as he locked his gaze with hers. The vervain was all out of her system and it would be so easy to compel, to force her to his will. "Klaus,  _please_." He grasped her chin as she shut her eyes, trying to shake her head, to push him off of her. "You'll be no better than Damon. Than Katherine."

"I never said I was, sweetheart," Klaus pointed out, and her lower lip trembled at that for a moment before that inner strength he so loved took hold of her.

Caroline opened her eyes, glowering at him. "So what? You're going to compel me any time there's trouble? Keep me locked away and hidden from sight? Kinda can't do the whole world traveling thing if that's your plan. I am not one of your siblings. You can't dagger me and then tote me around in some coffin, only bringing me out to play with when it's convenient for you."

Oh but how lovely that would be if it were possible. Stow her away whenever he felt threatened, but he had told her before that he didn't want her to be a doll for him and he had meant that. And if he compelled her then he was heading down the very slippery slope where that would be what she could become.

But the threat of losing her, of someone ripping her from his grasp was eating at him, tearing him apart from the inside and he didn't know how to overcome that, to grapple this fear and destroy it as he had everything else that caused an inkling of terror in his mind. "Train me," she continued, and he was uncertain what she was talking about. "I'm just a baby vampire and obviously you're worried for my welfare or whatever so train me to be able to fight off whatever threats are so going through your head. Not like  _right now_  because witches to kill but I figure training to utilize my vampire abilities has to go hand in hand with the whole feeding thing."

Klaus doubted that would be enough to satisfy the insane scenarios happening in his mind but it was a start. And it meant she was willingly spending further time with him, that she was taking another step toward what she was meant to become. He couldn't see any faults with her suggestion. At least not at the moment, especially when it sounded as though Vincent was having some trouble containing the new vampires.

"Very well, but I fail to see how future training helps with the current situation," Klaus pointed out, trying not to grin at her annoyed pout accompanied by a sigh, wondering how she'd gotten the rage he had been feeling to balance out by simply being there. That wasn't good. Or perhaps it was. Only time would tell for that.

"I'll stay in the room," Caroline conceded, and Klaus couldn't quite read her expression, couldn't quite make out what was going in her head. "But don't think that's going to be par for the course in the future, which is why we'll be doing the whole  _training thing._ "

"I'll make you magnificent," Klaus murmured, unable to help his predatory gaze as he looked her over, watching her suck in a breath at that.

She'd initiated their last two physical encounters and perhaps he should have continued with that pattern, not wanting to scare her, to set back the developments that had already occurred between them, but Klaus couldn't seem to stop himself, his control snapping as his touch softened, hands moving up to cup her face before kissing her. It was nothing like their previous ones, all softness and ease. She responded right away, her hands no longer held by his own coming up to grip the lapels of his jacket, letting him set the pace and tone.

He pulled away before he could deepen it, enjoying the way her lips trailed after him, seeking more and the delicious tranquility that seemed to have encompassed her. When she opened her eyes, her gaze questioning, he simply drew his fingers down her throat, smirking at her breathy little moan, wondering if she realized just how intoxicating that noise was for him.

Another loud crash in the hallway diverted his attention completely way from her and Klaus flashed out of the room without a word, ready and desperately needing to slaughter some witches.

* * *

Apparently killing little Caroline Forbes all those months back had been a good idea in more ways than one. Who knew that the annoying cheerleader who had been a great tool for trying to break up Stefan and Elena would eventually catch Klaus' eye? Katherine had turned her with the idea of having the girl be used in the eventual sacrifice so Klaus would have an option aside from her, but this new development might actually work out in her favor. She just needed to figure out  _how_  to use the fact that Klaus seemed to be infatuated with the baby vampire to secure her freedom.

She couldn't threaten the girl. Katherine was certain that would simply equal death and he wouldn't draw it out like he always threatened. No, he'd probably simply rip out her heart and be done with it. Putting out the news to some powerful enemies of his might work out short term, at least offer up a distraction for a few decades, but it would end in the same way as her directly threatening the girl. Klaus would figure out who'd spilled the beans.

Perhaps the key was to play on Caroline's weaknesses, get into that girl's brain and manipulate the baby vampire to be on her side. Unfortunately she had a number of strikes against her already—from having killed the girl, to the whole threatening Matt part, and no doubt the cheerleader would hold everything she'd ever done to the Salvatores and the Gilbert girl against her. It was a puzzle she'd need to put together but she'd managed to do so with far more complicated pieces before if it meant she survived for a few more years.

And that's what it all came down to in the end. Not her happiness, not love, not finding a home. It was all survival, had been for more years than she could count. Katherine couldn't even quite remember what it was like to actually have other dreams, to have other goals outside of not dying, of not being caught. Every time she had nearly reached out for something else, had grasped the idea of friendship or companionship in her hands it was just as quickly snatched away, never hers to begin with.

It'd happened with her daughter, taken from her moments after her birth, never allowed to even really lay eyes on the girl let alone touch her. She only ever had the baby's cries to remember her by. She hadn't even seen the color of her eyes.

Then there was Elijah, who had never really been hers but she had fallen so quickly for him in such a short time. Even as she had believed and clung to the fanciful dreams of marrying Klaus before she'd discovered his true nature and what he'd wanted with her. The last remnants of her innocence had been cast off in the woods as she promised herself that she would live, that she would not be his sacrifice.

Then Stefan and Damon, one fool in love with her while she loved the other. She'd nearly gotten happiness then but like all things in life it was a fleeting moment, one that never quite worked out no matter how many times she tried to force it to happen.

She'd allowed herself to believe one more time in the possibilities when Elijah found her, when he held her close and called her Katerina, when he spoke his promises and they had made a thousand plans. She wanted it more than she'd wanted anything in the past few centuries and yet she wasn't at all surprised to find it crumbling around her again because of his family.

Elijah Mikaelson would always put his family first and she was not his family.

It was a hard truth to accept but one that Katherine knew she needed to come to terms with, no matter how much it tore her apart.

"We leave for the airport in an hour," Elijah started as he walked back into their hotel room. He'd gone to check in on Stefan and Rebekah and Katherine had hated watching him walk out the door, especially because he'd taken the key to the security box where the stone was being held. Any trust she had thought he had in her had been erased in that moment.

"You know I can't go with you," she replied with a shrug. "I'm not about to be anywhere near your brother before I have assurances it won't be my last moment on earth." Surely he couldn't blame her for that. "Besides, I fail to see why you need to be there."

She was up off the chair in moments and walking toward him, all sultry smiles and swaying hips. "Give the stone to your sister and let them save the world while we go enjoy ourselves somewhere a little more exotic."

He caught her hand before it touched his chest and brought it to his lips, brushing them gently against her skin. "My family needs me, Katerina."

"And I don't?" she snapped, yanking her hands from his grasp, not liking how easily he let them go.

"I will find a way for us to be together. For Niklaus to see reason and release you from his revenge," Elijah told her, and she turned away at that, needing a moment to gather herself. Not wanting him to see the cracks in her carefully put together facade. "He has no need for you any longer."

"He never lets so-called wrongs done to him go, Elijah. You know that as well as I do," Katherine murmured. She knew Klaus would always see what she had done that way and never that she'd been simply looking out for her own well-being. He was a selfish ass in that regard. "Not to mention he could still get the cure somehow and shove it down my throat so he can have his never-ending assembly of hybrids."

Elijah was standing in front of her before she even realized he'd moved, fingers brushing her cheek before he leaned forward and pressed a kiss to her forehead. "I will find you," he promised, and she hated how much it sounded like a goodbye.

Katherine didn't reply; simply let him walk out the door and out of her life all over again. It wasn't until the she heard the door click shut that she started to move, that her brain started to go into overdrive again. She would figure out a way to force Klaus' hand into letting her go, make him suffer for every way he'd managed to ruin her life in the last five hundred years, and if she had to destroy a baby vampire to do so, that would hardly be an issue.

 


	21. Chapter 21

_When you light a candle, you also cast a shadow."_  ― Ursula K. Le Guin

* * *

The witches were all disposed of; bodies burning up in a pile behind the house, and the smell was beginning to get to Caroline. She knew the smell of death, knew the smell of decay, of blood, but this was awful. This was something she was pretty sure would haunt her dreams for ages to come. Why they didn't just bury them in the forest had been lost on her at first, it would've gotten the job done just as well, but Klaus didn't want to take any chances on them being resurrected. If they were nothing but ash the chances were extremely slim that anyone would be able to bring them back.

Considering she really didn't want them to go another round with the witches she didn't protest, even if she'd closed all the windows in the house, trying to blot out the lingering smell of burning flesh and fat. She'd spoken with Bonnie again while Vincent and Klaus had dealt with everything, assuring her that the Hunter hadn't killed anyone, and finding out some more about where Bonnie's group was currently at in regards to the timeline for their plan.

They needed to get cracking on Bonnie learning the spell and they also needed to get their butts to Europe. There was a greater possibility in Silas being hidden somewhere on that continent or nearby than anywhere near the United States. While some civilizations had made it across the Atlantic at various points in time, all of the myths surrounding Silas and Qestiyah suggested that they had lived somewhere in the Mediterranean. Greece or Italy was Vincent's best guess, though he said that didn't mean that Qestiyah hadn't trapped Silas elsewhere to extend his suffering, cutting him off even more from his dead beloved.

It all gave Caroline a headache.

Love was supposed to be a good thing. It was supposed to give happiness and benefit two people, make them stronger, more whole, but from what all she had gleamed from the myths, it had only seemed to bring out the darkness in both Qestiyah and Silas' souls, ruining what they had once been. Love shouldn't destroy the world. It should make it better. But the love had become twisted, perverted, and she wondered if that was what happened with the possibility of eternity spread out before someone.

Just look at the Mikaelson family.

Caroline didn't doubt that they did all love each other. They just did it in extremely unhealthy ways. Maybe that was because of their upbringing and how they had seen their parents love one another and because of how their parents had loved them. But she couldn't help but wonder if it was because of how long they had been alive.

Would that happen to her?

Would the love she felt for others, for her mom, for her friends, for Tyler become twisted into something she couldn't recognize? Even worse, if it did happen would she think it was normal? Would she come to steadfastly believe in it being a weakness as well?

There were so many questions spinning around in her head, trying to overwhelm her, and she locked them away, forcing herself to focus on the here and now, on everything that was happening around her instead. This was why she hated being idle. It allowed her mind to wander and that usually ended badly. It usually equaled her insecurities getting a chance to take root and fester and she couldn't afford for those doubts to start plaguing her mind.

Not with Klaus's constant presence.

Not when he was managing to break through all of her defenses.

Not when it was becoming harder to see why she continued to try and rebuild them instead of giving into what part of her desperately wanted. But even if she was away from her friends and family, even if she was away from Tyler, that didn't mean her moral compass simply shattered. It was part of who she was even if Caroline knew that it was adjusting to the world as she experienced it. At the core though she was still the same girl who had left Mystic Falls, she was still loyal to her friends and that loyalty went against everything that she had done with Klaus.

At the same time she also understood that she needed to be loyal to herself and her own feelings, her own desires and needs. She simply wasn't sure how to make those loyalties coincide with one another and Caroline didn't think she'd figure that part out anytime soon.

Her reverie was broken when she heard Vincent and Klaus finally enter the home again and she rose from the chair she'd been curled up on, waiting for them to be finished, to figure out what the next step.

"What are we going to do about the Hunter?" Vincent asked, looking about as exhausted as she was feeling. The events of the last day or so were definitely catching up. She really should have slept when she'd had the chance.

"I advise against trying to kill him," Klaus started as the two spotted her. Caroline tilted her head at that, remembering Elena and her conversation with Klaus at the Grill that had ended in her getting a date and him losing a hybrid or maybe that was the other way around. She noticed the way he was watching her, as if he was taking every inch of her in and she forced herself not to squirm, not wanting him to know just how much that intensity affected her. "You'll be dead in a week if you do. Possibly sooner."

"They haunt you if you kill them," Caroline added, knowing it'd probably be a good idea for Vincent to understand why he shouldn't kill the man. "If what the Hunter hunts kills him then he haunts the vampire and gets the vamp to commit suicide." Like Elena almost had. "So really, no ripping off Hunter heads or anything. We're kind of all out of spare potentials."

She winced at her own comment, remembering Jeremy, disgusted with her own attempt at a joke. Caroline could still remember Tyler's rage over the hybrid's death. She didn't even remember the guy's name. How horrible was that? She'd been the one to broker the deal that got the guy killed and she couldn't even remember his name. If pressed she was pretty sure she'd only remember one or two of the hybrids' names and one of them only because the girl had been ready to kill her.

"I have read up on the Brotherhood of the Five," Vincent reminded them, and Caroline pursed her lips at that, watching Klaus's gaze shift to the other vampire, unable to decipher his expression. It seemed that Vincent noticed the shift in the air and bowed his head toward Klaus. "I have histories recorded from many a witch who I allowed to serve me, including some information on that group. But nothing that would help with what we are currently involved in. Simply that they hunted our kind and killing them results in our own death."

"How did they manage to remain unseen and unheard of for so many centuries? Surely someone would have spoken of men killing our kind," Klaus pointed out as he sat down in the chair Caroline had vacated and she moved across the hallway, fingers gliding along the table that had somehow survived the chaos of the last few hours.

"Unless they killed them all before they could tell anyone," she murmured, gaze focused on the lone vase still on top of the table. "Or maybe they were dormant for a long time. Maybe they simply never activated the whole Hunter legacy. Like we never even knew about Jeremy being one until he started seeing the tattoo and stuff and like if Connor hadn't ever come to Mystic Falls, Jeremy could've gone his whole life never having seen it or questioning it." It all made sense in her head. Potential didn't exactly mean it would have to be activated for the legacy to continue on down a bloodline if that's what it was based on.

"It's possible the Hunter down in the cell could provide you real answers," Vincent pointed out, and Caroline glanced back at that. "He seems to know some things."

"Which is kinda funny because the last two so didn't know a thing about what was happening to them," Caroline murmured, not really finding it all that funny.

It was tragic. Suddenly being overwhelmed by a drive to kill was a hard emotional response to curb and at least she'd had answers to what had happened to her. It didn't seem like Jeremy or Connor really had much of a clue what had happened to them outside of what Professor Shane and Klaus had known. Even then, how accurate could the information they had been given really be? If anyone was going to try and manipulate all possible outcomes to favor themselves, Caroline had a feeling it'd be those two.

She could practically see the wheels turning in Klaus' head, knew he was thinking through a thousand different possibilities. He always did seem to have some kind of plan in his pocket. Probably the result of a thousand years of running, hunting, searching, and paranoia all rolled into one. "My siblings should be arriving in the next few days. Ensure that their rooms are up to par, Vincent," Klaus started, and it still amazed Caroline how quickly the other vampire was so ready to jump to do Klaus' bidding, already bowing again as he took a step backward toward the bedrooms. "Also compel the villagers to keep an eye out and sound the alarm if anything out of the ordinary crops up in the next few days."

Caroline seriously hoped that there wasn't another attack in the next day or two. They needed the breather. "What are you going to do?" she asked as Vincent hurried off to accomplish his tasks.

"I'll be having a chat with our new friend. Vaughn I believe is his name." Oh she really didn't like that glint of malice in his eyes, that curve of his lips that was entirely too predatory to be anything nice.

"Like you apparently  _chatted_  with the last two Hunters? Because you know, we need him alive." Map and all. If something happened before Bonnie and Kol could arrive with their Hunter in tow they were going to need to have their own available if the map appeared.

"I suppose that will all depend on how forthcoming he decides to be," Klaus replied, only furthering her apprehension with the idea as she headed off after him toward the basement where the cell was located.

"Didn't he like totally come here of his own accord, help us,  _and_  let you lock him up all the while telling us that the Spirits want him to help us?" she tried to point out, tried to reason even if she didn't think it would work this time.

"Ah, yes,  _the Spirits_. Those same Spirits that are hell-bent on the destruction of our kind," Klaus muttered, and Caroline bit her bottom lip at that, unable to deny that they did seem to really not like vampires. Hadn't the Spirits gone against Bonnie for helping vampires too much?

"It seems like they decided to focus on the bigger threat," she continued as they descended the stairs. "Kind of like how all the rest of us teamed up against Silas instead of working on whatever new plan Damon would probably have come up with to drive you out of Mystic Falls." And so maybe it hadn't actually happened like that. It had all been about the cure before the world had been ripped out from underneath all of them. From the hybrids to her kidnapping to everything else snowballing into the mess that they were currently in the middle of.

Klaus stopped at that, turning to look at her. They were halfway down the stairs, ones that seemed to have been cut out of the stone of the mountain the house was situated on. The darkness that surrounded them was nothing like any basement she had ever been in before. This was deeper, earthier and it had her wondering about being buried alive.

She missed the sunlight, the warmth of the world above, the strategically placed electric torches doing little to lighten the area. But she shifted her focus back to Klaus, watching him observe her, hating that he looked as though he knew what she was thinking before his mouth tightened into a grimace.

"How long do you think it will be before they turn around and decide to end us? There used to be an advantage. They knew nothing of the white oak stake's location," he started, and Caroline frowned, knowing that the existence of that weapon could potentially mean the end for herself and some of her friends. "Mikael had only one and he never let it leave his side, hell-bent on driving it though my chest. When he died I destroyed it only for a sapling to have grown through the ages and your lot to have figured that out, crafting more stakes. Easily enough burned but the one my mother forged cannot be destroyed. It is a weakness they will try to find, to exploit."

She didn't expect him to step forward, didn't expect his fingers to brush against her cheek. "I'm sure you're aware of how I usually deal with anything I might perceive to be such a thing," he continued, the hunger in his gaze making her swallow hard.

Caroline had to suppress the urge to step back, to put distance between the two of them, because like Klaus she didn't like people knowing her weaknesses either, especially not him. "I don't doubt for a second that these Hunters will exploit everything that they can once Silas is taken care of, so I mean to find out each and every one of their weak points, of how potentials are created to eradicate their threat from this world once we've handled the Silas situation." He turned back on his heel before she could respond, descending a few stairs before stopping again. "You're welcome to join me in my questioning, Caroline, but don't think for a moment that you'll be able to sway what I deem necessary to get the information I need. I'm not about to waste this opportunity that I predicted would eventually step into my path."

Realization dawned on her, eyes widening as all the little puzzle pieces slid into place in front of her. "You've been planning this since Lucy talked about sending witches to look for the Hunters, haven't you?"

"At least one scenario I've played out in my head had a Hunter showing up to assist us," Klaus replied, cunning smile on his face and the realization of how quickly he worked out plans in his head threw her for loop. She did the same thing, but nowhere near to the capacity that he seemed to. She could only imagine what other scenarios had gone on in his mind, how many back up plans he had up his sleeve, ready to go at a moment's notice. "I've lived far too long to not have a hundred different cards up my sleeve, Caroline, every one of them a way to get exactly what I want, what I need. Even if I do need to wait a year or a century for my desires to come to fruition."

His gaze caught hers, and even if he wasn't compelling her and she knew he wasn't, she couldn't quite break away, staring back him. "Not to mention, your fate hangs in the balance and I'm certain you've seen just how far I am willing to go in order to insure your survival."

Klaus was gone in the next moment, having descended the stairs at vampire speed, and leaving her alone in the pale torch light, unable to help how her body had begun shaking at that reminder. Caroline had always known Klaus was a planner, that he far surpassed even her in that arena, but actually being faced with the formulation of some, of truly seeing how his mind could formulate a number of scenarios and plan out ways to handle them was jolting.

Because she knew, without a doubt, that he was doing the same thing in regards to her. A year or a century were not simply words to him. She had a feeling he had plotted a couple thousand different scenarios on how to finally win her over and that was never wracking. How was she supposed to combat that?

She honestly didn't have a clue, but she'd figure out a way to pull back the balance that had been recently tipped in his favor. Even if her mind and her desires were constantly at war with one another, one wanting to give in and the other trying to reel her back, reminding her of all the reasons even tiptoeing into the tide that was Klaus Mikaelson was a no good, very bad idea.

She wasn't about to back down from any of it, simply wasn't Caroline's style, but she did need a few moments to gain control of her body and her emotions before she headed down into the darkness that she could feel seeping into her bones, hopeful that it wouldn't permanently reside there.

* * *

Having access to her magic again was something Bonnie didn't ever think she adequately be able to describe. It was like pure joy was running through her veins, igniting every nerve ending inside of her as she felt it flow through her, around her, and out into the world. This was what it had been like to float feathers with Elena or change the weather with Luka. It's what she had missed the most when her grandmother had died, this tie to the world around her that had been so viciously stripped from her when all she'd done was try to save her friends. Maybe it had gone against what the spirits wanted, maybe her actions hadn't quite jived with their plans, but her intentions had always been good.

_The road to hell and all_ , echoed in her mind, twisted in her gut, but she pushed it away, focusing on the here and now as she tried to do what Lucy had instructed. The spell they needed to end Silas would take the two of them to accomplish. Utilizing both of their magic potential entwined together, like she'd done with Luka, to give them the power boost that would be needed to defeat the immortal.

There was an exact phrasing that needed to be spoken in sync with one another and while Bonnie had always deemed herself to be a pretty good at doing that, she kept stumbling over bits and pieces of the spell. A wrong word here, incorrect inflection there and the more they practiced the worse it seemed to get and the more frustrated she had become.

"Just calm down, Bonnie," Lucy told her, voice soothing and for some reason that irritated Bonnie more than it helped. "You've got this. You can do this. I've been doing this synchronized chanting since I was twelve. Just concentrate."

Bonnie snatched back her hands at that, unable to keep her anger from bubbling over. "Because you got to be in a Coven. Because you had help since you were a kid. You've known all of this and practiced it for more years than I've even known what I'm doing. You weren't forced to learn it all alone because the one person who could help you died before she could tell you anything. Because your mother had left and when she returned she became the very thing she hated and left you all over again."

Because  _you_  left and  _you_  never came back.

It hung unspoken in the air between them and Lucy sighed, looking slightly ashamed as she rose. "I think it's time for a break," she murmured, offering up a slight smile but Bonnie ignored it, her focus on the spell book in front of her instead, trying to force the words into her head.

She would not be the reason this plan failed. She would not be the weak link when she finally had the power to help her friends again, to right so many wrongs, to fix the world just a little so they could a sliver of normal back.

"What a nice little spark you've got, darling," Kol started, causing Bonnie startle out of her reverie. She hadn't noticed him enter the room and mentally berated herself for not keeping a better awareness of her surroundings.

"What do you want, Kol?" she asked, lips twisting as she kept her attention on the book in her lap.

She didn't trust him, wished he'd gone off to join Rebekah and Elijah in New Orleans instead of sticking around with them. Even if he had been a bit of help once or twice. She couldn't shake the feeling that he was watching them all closely, or really, that he was watching  _her_  closely. It was unsettling, reminding a bit of Damon and his pushiness with her powers to help him countless times—to open the tomb or save Elena—but with Kol it was worse.

It was the deepening grin, that look in his eyes that she could only really describe as  _crazy_  that had her on edge. Something about it told her to not let her guard down for a second around him, even if he was on their side. Bonnie didn't doubt for a moment that the sides were incredibly fluid and he'd easily leap over to whichever benefited him most in the moment.

What would happen  _after_  Silas was dealt with?

The Originals wouldn't simply fade away into the night.

"Came to see how the rehearsal was fairing," Kol started, sitting down across from her where Lucy had been moments before. "I'm surprised no one tried to tempt you into expression earlier with all that pent up anger you've got just barely under your skin."

She didn't bother looking up at him, kept looking down at the words, silently saying them. "Though I suppose it didn't really matter, what with the powerhouse you already would be, being a Bennett and all, even more so with being a direct descendent," he continued, picking up the candle that lay between them before blowing it out. "You were always a powder keg waiting to go off."

"You know nothing about me," Bonnie muttered, mentally smacking herself as soon as the words left her mouth. Engaging with him meant he'd stick around and all she wanted to do was concentrate and pound the words into her head.

"I know power ready to rip away at the seams trying to contain it, craving to be released and allowed to reign free, to do what it was meant to without holding back," Kol told her, leaning forward as he rolled the candle in between his hands. "I've seen it. Your ancestors are known for it."

She didn't reply, forcing herself not to speak with him, hopeful that he'd get bored and leave. "Why do you think the Spirits punished you so viciously? Because they know what your power can do if allowed to flourish how  _you_  want it to," Kol grinned, the damn candle still rolling between his hands. "Do you really think they'll let you keep all of this once you've given them what they want, little witch?"

She froze at that, unable to help response, doubt beginning to sink into her at his words. Would they strip her again? She didn't know if she could handle being cut off from all of it all over again, to have part of herself ripped so viciously away. "Your loyalties are not exactly tied to the Spirits but wrapped around the lives of those you love. Do you think they'll care that your friends will die if they do manage to finally end my family?" he continued, candle no longer shifting in his hands but held out toward her, wick side up. "Nature needs a balance, there's no doubt about that. I've learned as much with my lengthy time traveling with various covens. But balance doesn't mean it has to go according to the Spirits plans. Whole bunch of busy body dead witches trying to exact their revenge instead of letting their descendants live their lives."

"Amazing how you can spin it all to have a more positive outlook for you," Bonnie snapped, trying not to let his words settle into her skin, not wanting them to create roots there. The last thing she needed was doubt clouding her judgment.

"You could say the same thing for the Spirits, little witch," Kol replied, annoying smirk plastered on his face as he rose, holding out the candle to her. She snatched it away, willing him to leave her in peace to practice, willing his words to evaporate from the air around them as well.

"Might want to figure out how you can continue to be of use to your ancestors once Silas is dealt with," he continued before heading out the door and leaving Bonnie alone with her thoughts.

She glared at the door as it shut, lights flickering in the room as her emotions got the better of her. Closing her eyes, she forced herself to breathe through her anger, to let it dissipate before turning back to the book. She couldn't let Kol fluster her, needed to focus on this spell and knowing exactly how to do it. She needed to trust the Spirits even if every fiber of her being was against doing that. She needed to focus on the current plan and not the possibilities that  _might_  play out if everything went according to how they wanted. None of it would matter if Silas was allowed to rise and destroy the world as they knew it.

Except not thinking of the future could also prove to be catastrophic. Bonnie filed away a mental reminder to talk to Caroline about it. If any of her friends could come up with multiple plans for different outcomes it would be her. But for now she needed to focus on the spell and trust the Spirits.

Not trusting them led to darkness and she'd already edged down that pathway once. She had no intention of heading there again. Not unless she had to and she wasn't at a point where doing so was necessary.

At least…not yet.

* * *

Walking away seemed to have become a specialty of Elijah's over the years. Putting aside his own wants and needs for the rest of his family, especially for Niklaus, had become such a common occurrence that there were times he wasn't even sure he knew truly how to do anything different. Even when he'd hunted his brother, desperate to end him because of what he had believed had happened to the rest of their family, he'd put aside his end game, gave into Niklaus' pleas, believed his brother when he said their family hadn't been destroyed.

It turned out they hadn't been, simply staked and carted around, but that ability to walk away from his own goal had resulted in a dagger and another long unwanted rest.

Or perhaps it was more accurate to say that he couldn't seem to turn his back on Niklaus, no matter how much he might have wanted to at times. In the end he always came back full circle to his brother, seeking penance for crimes that would never be forgotten, searching for redemption for the brother who had only ever wanted to be loved. Some days he wasn't even sure if his deeds were ever truly forgiven. Even if his brother had forgiven him for his own part in their pasts, Elijah knew he would never be able to forgive himself.

And so once again his brother needed him and he was walking away from his own chance at happiness.

Perhaps trying for a life with Katerina was a colossal mistake, but it was one he had wanted to make. He had wanted at least the chance to see if they could be happy together, even if only for a short span of time.

He had seen the hurt in her eyes when he had told her what he needed to do. Had seen another sliver of the girl he had once known and had so easily betrayed for his brother disappear from Katherine's eyes. Soon there would be nothing left of the girl who had spoken to him of love, of whom had reminded him of his first love, the one torn from him by fate and his mother. How pieces of Katerina had still managed to exist in Katherine was beyond Elijah, not with all she had experienced, not with all she had done to survive five hundred years on the run from him and Klaus. But he had glimpsed it and he needed to taste it, to hold it, to stop coveting it as he'd done for the last five hundred years, forcing his own desires down for the sake of repairing his never-ending relationship with his brother.

But she was gone and the chances of her ever giving him another shot were slim, not when he'd betrayed her trust before in favor of Niklaus and had left her for the very same reason.

_Always and forever_  was their curse as much as their pledge.

"You can do a thousand times better than a Petrova, Elijah," Rebekah started, or perhaps she was simply continuing. Elijah had been tuning her out, not wanting to start an argument in the enclosed space of their private jet. "All that one ever did was ruin lives."

"One would think you wouldn't believe everything our brother likes to tell considering he doesn't always portray you in the best light in his stories," Elijah simply replied, knowing that probably hit a little too close to home for his sister, but he was truly in no mood to hear her bad mouth Katherine. "Do not speak of matters you know nothing about, Rebekah."

"I may have been daggered during the initial circumstances," she continued, not seeming to pick up on the warning in his tone. Or perhaps she had and simply decided to ignore it. "But I've seen what her destructive tendencies can accomplish. You were nothing more than a means for her own survival."

He clenched his jaw at that, her words hitting a little too close to home. That had always been a worry when it came to doing anything with Katherine, especially with the woman she had become, the cutthroat survivalist. While it may have always been there in Katerina, that will too survive, he didn't think it had been anything quite like what she would come to do through the centuries. Running from Klaus had hardened her more than he had thought possible, but Elijah refused to deny the flicker of the girl he had once known that he saw shining through in her recently.

He'd glimpsed it when he saw her in the tomb, when he'd compelled her to be unable to leave it, but ending Klaus had been his priority. And then it had been reuniting his family but Esther's betrayal had squashed a lot of hope that had begun to rise and Niklaus' supposed death had sent him away from Mystic Falls and into Katherine's path.

And just like that, he'd been pulled out of it all over again.

"I suggest, Rebekah, that you hold your tongue unless you'd prefer the younger Salvatore to lose his." It would grow back but the perhaps doling out a little pain would lessen his own.

The boy stiffened in the seats ahead of them and Elijah could practically hear his sister readying to reply, for her to deny any feelings, and perhaps they weren't at the level he'd heard Niklaus mock her about from years before, but any harm that came to the boy she would no doubt want done at her hands and hers alone.

"You and Nik are ridiculous," she muttered instead, and Elijah wondered what Niklaus had to do with anything. Especially in regards to Rebekah's ability to find faults in who her brothers were drawn to romantically.

Elijah looked over at her, not enjoying the triumphant glint in her eyes, that smirk that told him she had some secrets that he would want her to spill. "You really should try to be more in the loop, 'lijah," Rebekah mused, her voice reminding him of the teasing she'd done when they were younger and human, and it almost made him smile, but that smirk ruined the illusion. This was not the innocence of back then; it was too ruined by a thousand years to ever be that again. "Our brother is in love."

He furrowed his brow, certain that he had heard her incorrectly. Niklaus did not love and if for some inexplicable reason he'd thought he was close to caring about one outside of the family that much he'd dispose of them. Destroy them before they could ever be used to cause him any ruin.

"Kol knew before you. Even mother did considering she used the girl on Nik at least once," Rebekah continued, and while her voice was light, the jealousy was clear in her eyes, in the way she was nearly bending the arm of her chair into two.

Who could it be? He wracked his brain, trying to figure out who Niklaus could have possibly come to care for to that degree. Queens, kings, great thinkers, musicians, artists, and scientists had never been able to do so. A few had come close but they'd never been given the chance to survive past the first inklings.

"Rebekah," Stefan muttered, warning in his tone which his sister quickly ignored, but Elijah knew what that tone meant. It was someone from Mystic Falls, someone from the inner circle.

Elena? Could Niklaus truly have fallen for a shadow of the woman they had both known? He didn't think so. His brother had been too happy to drain her of her blood and be done with it. The witch didn't quite match up with any of his brother's tastes either.

A glimpse of blonde hair stirred in his memories, a blue dress and his brother never leaving the cheerleaders side at that fateful dance. "The cheerleader."

From Rebekah's widening grin as he put the pieces into place Elijah had a feeling he had deduced correctly, Stefan's accompanying glare confirming what he believed. Rebekah sank back against her seat, fingers tapping away as she turned her attention back to the window, Stefan doing the same.

Elijah simply leaned back in the chair, a million thoughts spinning through his head, wondering how it could have come about, how he had not seen it. Thoughts of Katerina were swiftly pushed from his mind, his focus turning back as it always seemed toward Niklaus. His spirts were lifted, the melancholy that had swept through him seemed to evaporate, instead a newfound purpose flowing through him.

Perhaps redemption was still in the cards for his brother after all and Elijah wouldn't stop until that happened, no matter who else might get hurt in the process.

* * *

The Hunter sat with his back pressed against the cell looking nonplussed as Klaus entered the room. Some bravado was to be expected, Klaus had a feeling this one knew of the consequences a vampire faced if killing him, and seemed to be much more knowledgeable than any of the others had been. Pity he hadn't tried to get information out of Alexander and his friends before killing them all.

"No need to look at me like you're trying to deduce how best to torture information out of me, mate," Vaughn started, straightening his legs out in front of him as he cracked his neck, trying to get more comfortable. "Just tell me what you want to know."

That hadn't been a response that Klaus had expected. Jeremy had been but a boy, Connor had been a confused man simply wanting answers, and the first Hunters had been religious zealots holding fast to their supposed duties. "Just like that, hmm?" he asked, looking down at the man as he shut the door behind him.

Klaus could hear Caroline still in the stairwell, knew she'd be there for a few more moments, and once she wanted to enter—which he knew she would, too drawn to all of this to ever back away—she'd be able to work the door just as he had. No reason to give the Hunter an easy means of escape even if the man did seemingly look as though he wasn't itching for a fight.

"It's a calling, you know.  _Destiny_  is what the witches told me," Vaughn replied, shrugging his shoulders but the look in his eyes contradicted the easygoing body language that he was displaying. There was hatred there, but not seemingly directed at him and Klaus was skeptically intrigued by that. "More like a curse. Accidentally end up killing a vampire if you're a potential and your life is never the same. I had a fiancé, had a job, all of them gone because of the damn urges that I couldn't control at first. Turns out there's a lot you bloody buggers in the world even if it doesn't seem like it at first."

"If you're looking for sympathy from me you'll be wasting your time. I hardly ever doll that out to my siblings as it is," Klaus remarked, filing away the information nonetheless. He never knew when bits of it would become relevant later. "Five Hunters and yet I doubt there is any relation between you and the others I've known. So not familial based, not passed down in the genes from one generation to the next."

"That'd be a waste considering how easily you could wipe us out. Don't think nature would let you ruin its plans that easily," Vaughn murmured with a smirk and another shrug. "There are more than five potentials at any given time but none of them can be activated without a previous Hunter dying and even then the activation includes the killing of a vampire—intentional or not. Something you don't see many people going out of their way to do in this day and age. You're all myths and stories."

"And yet you all seem to be cropping up like flies recently," Klaus mused, still filing away information, drawing his own conclusions.

"We shouldn't be. There should be more time between a death and an activation. Decades usually, sometimes a century if what the witches who found me knew what they were talking about," Vaughn replied with a frown. "Someone's manipulating the circumstances. Doubt it's for good reasons either."

"How far along is the map?" Klaus eyed the man's arm, knowing that on his skin was the key to the location of the immortal they needed to stop, even if he couldn't' see the mark.

"Further along than it was when I got here and I haven't killed, nor am I going to, not when we don't know who's yanking all the strings," Vaughn continued, touching slightly further than his right shoulder. "Means another Hunter is killing vampires though. You have me. I know Lucy has the newest one. But that leaves three unaccounted for."

"Can you not sense the others?" The original Brotherhood had all traveled together, been created together. Klaus wanted to know how they would be able to all find one another again after their deaths, how their purpose was able to be continued on if they simply activated their abilities without any knowledge as to why it happened. What was the point then? How could they ever complete their supposed mission without guidance?

Connor had certainly not had any. Jeremy only knew what Shane and himself had been able to reveal. Yet, Vaughn seemed to know more and kept speaking of witches. "Only if we're all in the same place. We can sense who else is a Hunter and who's a potential. But I couldn't give you an idea of where anyone is right now," Vaughn replied with a frown.

"You were contacted by witches though," Klaus mused, letting the information roll through his mind, trying to put it all together. "Descendants of the witch who created the original Five?" It was a good assumption. If not direct descendants than perhaps they were descendants of that woman's coven, all sworn to find and help any Hunters who came to be.

"All should be but it's not an exact science and takes some of them a little longer to find us depending on when and where we finally become a Hunter." Of course. He really should have paid better attention to that line of witches. Alas, running from his father had been a higher priority. "Or if someone else gets to them first, like in the case of Connor Jordan. They were right annoyed by that one."

"So you'll be able to contact them for us, have them find out where the other three are," Klaus grinned, leaning forward a little in amusement at that.

"I wouldn't even if I could and it's not like you could compel the answer out of me," Vaughn pointed out. Ah yes, that annoying little quirk of a Hunter. "But it'd do you no good even if I could. That Coven was slaughtered while I was out looking for the latest potential. Slaughtered and turned into vampires."

From the dark look that flashed in the man's eyes Klaus had a feeling Vaughn had been the one to kill the vampires who'd once been witches. Fitting end in his mind, even if it seemed to bristle the young man. No one could quite see the poetry of turning a witch into something they hated, into stripping them of their magic in such a brutal way. People really did need to lighten up. Though, in this instance it was more problematic than amusing. Either the Gilbert girl had gotten to them or there were others also killing witches and turning them into vampires, and considering what Kol and Bonnie had relayed he already knew that was happening.

Someone was stacking the deck in their favor and it wasn't aligning with his own. "Pity that," Klaus replied, sounding anything but sympathetic.

"There might be another who knows though. They didn't just work with witches. There were a few humans in the know about it all, working with them to keep the vampire population under control. Learning how to withstand compulsion, the tricks to getting information out of vampires, how to use sunlight and vervain to torture what we needed," Vaughn continued, and Klaus arched a brow at that, not surprised and yet wanting to know more.

There would always be regular old vampire hunters in the world, like Alaric had been. Those who knew of the existence of the supernatural because of unfortunate circumstances befalling them or loved ones or like those in Mystic Falls who had the knowledge passed down through the generations. "There's a prototype of what they helped them make a century or so back in that town you were all residing in," Vaughn continued. "Forbes line was usually real good at torturing information out of vampires when needed before disposing of them. Only the latest one ever really got the trick of withstanding compulsion though."

Klaus knew Caroline would be through the door before he could stop her. He wanted to get the information first, to be able to look at it without the emotional response that she would have to it all. "You knew my father?" she demanded, door swinging open and her hands practically shaking with this newfound knowledge.

"Caroline," Klaus warned, wanting her to turn around, to head back out and away from the Hunter. She was still too easily killable, even if there was no wood in the area for the Hunter to use on her. Earlier invitation for her to see the interrogation needing to be revoked.

"You knew about that… _that place,"_ she continued, ignoring Klaus, something she was entirely too good at doing in his opinion. He knew what she was referring to, had done his research and even gone to see the torture chamber, admiring the handiwork of the Forbes ancestors. It was a magnificent place and one he'd have enjoyed using on those who betrayed him. But he knew it had its own meaning for her, that it was where she had been hurt by her father, tortured and betrayed by a man who was supposed to love her unconditionally.

"Your father?" Vaughn asked, apparently the witches may have let him know that Caroline was not to be harmed but they hadn't provided him all of the details on who exactly she was.

"Bill Forbes," she murmured, shrugging of Klaus' hand, but he simply regained his grip on her arm, not letting her get any closer to the man, wanting to be able to fling her from the cell if it became necessary. "He couldn't be compelled. He was learning things. He used…showed me that place. My forefathers work."

"You're that Caroline," Vaughn was looking at her with a new appreciation and Klaus could practically see the man in front of him calculating how he could use this new information to his advantage. "I always told him that you and his ex keeping you out of the loop was a bad idea. Waiting until any of you kids turned twenty to be told anything was simply asking for trouble, even if a vampire hadn't set foot in town in ages."

Which wasn't exactly accurate, the Salvatores had been back in town more than once, but it seemed no one had quite suspected them at that point. Not that many even in the know about the supernatural did in that town. Deluded little bunch in Klaus' opinion. "He might be able to help. He was working on ways to find potentials because we were still missing two," Vaughn continued. "Or are you two on the outs because of your…current state of being."

Caroline stiffened and while Klaus didn't release his grip on her arm, he did let his thumb begin to stroke her skin, trying to be gentle, to offer some comfort to her. Everything that had to do with her father was still raw and while she may have come to some manner of peace with him before he died, it didn't change everything that had transpired between them.

"He's dead. He was turned and didn't want to become a vampire and so he let himself die." Klaus could hear the underlying 'he didn't want to be like me' in her tone, that sadness over her father rather dying than living on in another way to be with her still.

"What about Steven?" Vaughn asked, and Klaus arched a brow at that. Perhaps not killing that man had been the right decision after all. "He was working with your dad on it. He might have some ideas."

"Perfect," Klaus replied before Caroline could comment, pulling her out of the cell as he stepped out. "You've been most helpful. I'll have food brought to you soon enough."

He closed the door and dragged Caroline up the stairs and away from the cell, ignoring her angry protests. "Are you insane?" she screamed at him. "I don't even know why I asked that.  _Of course_  you are. He had more information! I am going back down there and talking to him about it."

"No, you're not," Klaus informed her, slamming the doorway shut that led to the basement. "I've no doubt that he can tell you some things about your father, Caroline, and I am sure you would like to learn them. But I also am quite certain that he will use that information to get what he wants from you as well. He is an ally  _for now._ He is not a friend; he can turn on us at any second. It's in his nature to want to drive a stake through your heart. Do not forget that."

"Not just my dad, Klaus. He said that my family has been involved in this for over a century. I want to know," Caroline demanded, and while he usually loved her stubborn streak, he couldn't discount that there were times that it was bloody annoying. "I need to know."

"Information that we can just as easily get from Steven," Klaus pointed out and watched her eyes widen and then narrow just as quickly. He wondered if she realized how much he enjoyed the little hiss she gave at that.

"You are not dragging him into this," she protested, crossing her arms against her chest as she glared at him.

"Technically the Hunter is the one who involved him," Klaus grinned, watching his words rile her up even more. "You can try calling him first. See if he'll give us the information we need over the phone. If he cooperates there will hardly be any problems. If he decides to be stubborn then I'll have one of my siblings pop over to retrieve him before coming to join us."

"Why can't we just ask the freaking Hunter?" she grumbled, huffing at his answer.

"Because the Hunter said it was your father and Steven who were working on how to find the potentials, Caroline, not himself," Klaus replied, smile broadening as she looked away from him, her annoyance only growing. He pulled out his phone. "I suggest you do so now. Unless you'd rather I skip ahead to my preferred plan."

She snatched the phone from his hand, angrily jabbing in the phone number before hitting the call button. Klaus could see the apprehension in her features, watched her step back from him and begin to pace along the hallway as she waited for the man who had once cared for her to pick up. "This is Steven," came the eventual reply.

Caroline hesitated and Klaus wasn't surprised by that, knowing hearing the man's voice couldn't be a happy experience, not with how their last meeting had gone. "Don't hang up or they're just going to come and get you," Caroline hurriedly spoke and silence hung in the air for a few more moments.

"What do you want?" Steven demanded, voice strained and Klaus sat down in one of the chairs in the hallway, watching Caroline, knowing that she probably didn't want him anywhere near her in that moment.

"I need to know about how you dad were trying to find potentials," she murmured, hair falling in front of her face so Klaus couldn't see her expression. Her hands were trembling though.

"Why the hell would I tell you that?" Steven asked, and Klaus rose then, snatching the phone from her hand. He ignored her protests as he pressed the phone to his ear.

"Quite simply because you either tell me now or I have someone retrieve you and your daughter and drag you both here so that I get what I need," Klaus replied, grinning at the sound of Steven sucking in a breath. He wondered how much his voice haunted the man's nightmares and waking moments. Perhaps he'd taunt him a little more once this Silas business was dealt with.

"There isn't one," Steven started and Klaus tsked.

"Come now, mate, why drag this out? As much as I'd enjoy torturing your daughter it'd set me back quite a bit with Caroline and I'd really it rather not come to that," Klaus piped up, smiling at Caroline who simply glowered at him.

"I'm not lying. We've been working on it for years. But they're not of the same bloodline. They're not related in any way. It's not a descendant thing. It can crop up on any continent and at any time. We researched countless witch lore about it. Spoke to I don't even know how many witches. It was made to be random so that their line can't be killed off until their mission is completed," Steven told him, and Klaus could hear the rise and fall of the man's heartbeat through the phone, the desperation for him to believe him. "That task isn't actually killing all of you but Silas. Killing vampires was just an added bonus because you were created with the same spell. The one the Original witch did was the same one Qestiyah used thousands of years before so the Hunters are drawn to you and were made to be activated by killing a vampire. But Silas is their main goal."

"Stop Silas and stop the Hunters then?" Klaus murmured, letting that sink in.

"From what the witches said once Silas is dead the Hunter goes back to being a regular human and there will be no more potentials," Steven confirmed and Klaus pursed his lips at that.

"Do know that if I find out you're lying—and I will—that nothing, not even Caroline, will be able to stop me from draining your daughter dry and turning you into what you hate the most. After that I will compel you to never kill yourself and live as what you hate forever," Klaus told him, pleased with the hitch in the man's breath.

"I'm not lying," Steven urged, and the desperation had him believing that, but Klaus would still ensure that he had people watching the girl, ready to kill her if need be.

"Have pleasant day, Steven. Hopefully I won't need to be in touch again." Klaus hung up his phone and slid it into his pocket. He could see Caroline ready to argue to yell at him and as much as he enjoyed her rage, they needed to be a bit more productive with their time now. "I believe it's time for us to start your training."

He watched her open her mouth and shut it as she tried to get a handle on her emotions. "Might as well use all that anger you want to throw at me in a constructive manner," he continued, sweeping an arm down the hallway towards the front doors. "After you."

She huffed and headed off down the hallway, Klaus following on her heels. He doubted this would deter her from trying to talk to the Hunter for long, or lighten her anger with him over the entire ordeal with Steven, but at least it would keep her occupied and allow him to work on making her stronger and more able to protect herself. The fact that it would involve touching Caroline and pressing her against his body was also a definite plus. Considering how tightly wound she currently was Klaus couldn't wait to see exactly how she'd explode, hopeful that it would be reminiscent of their river encounter or their bloody make out session after the witches, and already plotting out how to ensure it all worked out for him in the end.

 


	22. Chapter 22

_He'll burn you down like wax if you let him. You'll think its love, while he dines on your heart."—Catherynne M. Valente, Deathless_

* * *

Werewolves were never exactly Katherine's favorite group to work with. They were a rambunctious bunch, prone to aggressive outbursts and usually far too insulated if they were in packs. Lone wolves were easier to manipulate and control, especially ones who had no clue about what they were before accidentally triggering their curse. It was so easy to win them over when she had bits and pieces of knowledge that they were hungry for. Packs usually knew more than she did and getting in with them was not only a headache but also asking for a horrific death. There was only one cure for a werewolf bite and Katherine knew she'd never be given it again.

That one time Klaus had shoved it down her throat had been to show Stefan that his blood could help Damon. She wasn't foolish enough to think the Hybrid would give her more, not even to continue his centuries long torture of her.

She'd considered finding the werewolf girl who'd helped Shane and betrayed Tyler, but Katherine had seen how foolish Hayley was in her plotting and decided she'd be more of a hindrance than a help. The witches she knew either seemed to be dead or in hiding, a troublesome development that Katherine might look into later, but had her scratching them off her potential idea chart. And the vampires were useless, not knowing what was going on, either not wishing to do anything that might provoke and Original or too young to be of any help, believing everything to be myths and legends and having no actual useful insight.

Which left heading to this growing pack of wolves, picked from all over the country if her sources were correct. It was foolish to be anywhere near them considering what their bite could do but they had a Hunter and it seemed that one of those was vital if she wanted to get anywhere near the cure. Not to mention it looked as though Tyler Lockwood was in charge of the lot and she definitely knew a few buttons to push when it came to him.

Of course she needed to actually see him and work it so the Hunter didn't rip out her heart on sight if her plan was ever to come to fruition. Finding access to another Hunter might have been a better idea in the long run, but time was limited and the chances of her contacts locating another group for her to infiltrate was incredibly slim. So she'd need to take her chances on this plan even if it wasn't the best she'd ever come up with.

At least she had the fact that poor Tyler wasn't as good as some of the others at distinguishing her from Elena Gilbert and she would definitely make sure to use that to her advantage. The two might have known each other since childhood but they weren't exactly besties, Tyler only really being in the ragtag Mystic Falls gang because of his relationship with the cheerleader. Katherine was still surprised that Damon hadn't done away with the boy like he had Mason, especially one the kid was turned into a hybrid.

The elder Salvatore had been going soft and that was just a damn shame. He was much more fun as a killer than he'd ever been as a human. It'd be a pity if he was trying to redeem himself, though, it'd be pretty comical to watch him try and fail. Maybe she'd check in on him and his endless pursuit of Elena once she was finally free of Klaus and happily mess up his life all over again.

Stumbling into the pack's camp, she made sure to look absolutely distraught, to use that doe eye look and exude an air of helplessness. "I'm looking for Tyler," she started, voice trembling as she nearly fell to the ground, watching the members watch her warily, no doubt sensing what she was and not sure how to react since she'd asked for someone by name.

Tyler was in front of her in seconds, helping her rise to her feet. "Elena? What's wrong? How did you even find me?" He was looking her over, trying to offer comfort as he led her over to a tree stump.

She nearly rolled her eyes at the chivalry, reminded of his Uncle for a moment, but had to keep up the facade. "Klaus took Caroline."

Yellow flashed in the young hybrid's eyes and Katherine knew she'd made the right decision, that she'd picked well this time for who to stand behind—at least for the moment. "I don't know where they are exactly, but I think Stefan mentioned Romania. He's with Rebekah now. I can't believe he sided with her."

"Where's Damon? Matt and Jeremy?" Tyler asked rubbing his hand on the back of his neck as he no doubt tried to process everything.

"I don't know where Damon is. He…went crazy. Like he did when he…" she looked down, appearing even further distraught. "Killed your Uncle. I didn't want to stay with him. I don't trust him. I couldn't find Matt or Jeremy after Klaus took off with Caroline. "

Who knew with those two? She certainly didn't care, but she knew she needed to keep hammering in the Klaus and Caroline part; that it would be what she needed for Tyler to focus on; his rage at the Original would be enough for him to not look too closely into her story, into how she wasn't  _quite_  Elena Gilbert. "I'm so worried about her, Tyler. He's had her for weeks now. Who knows what he's doing to her," she continued, bottom lip trembling as she continued with the facade.

"It's going to be okay, Elena," Tyler reassured, even if his eyes narrowed at her words, his body tensing. "I'm going to get her back and I'm going to end him so he won't be able to hurt any of us ever again."

Katherine nodded at that, keeping back her smile. She didn't believe for a second that the boy in front of her would be able to end Klaus Mikaelson—far more powerful, skillful men had tried—but she was certain that his attempt to do so would help her find a way to earn her freedom once and for all.

She allowed Tyler to lead her over to one of the RVs and stepped inside to shower and rest, utilizing her advanced hearing to listen into Tyler talking with the others. She wasn't surprised that some of the wolves needed reassurances, took note of the Hunter's voice once he revealed himself, and then curled up on the RV's couch as she continued to listen to everything outside as she plotted away her own plans in her head.

The door opened and she put back up her Elena mask, looking over at Tyler with wide eyes as he entered and handed her a blood bag. "I'm sending the wolves up to some land so they'll be safe while a group of us head to Europe. I don't know how exactly this is all going to pan out but sources say it'll probably happen in Europe and if you're right and Klaus and the others are already there then we'll want to be there too," Tyler told her, watching her with concern. "It's going to be okay, Elena. We'll get Caroline and the cure and the three of us will go back to how we were and Klaus will be nothing but a nightmare we endured."

"Good," Katherine murmured before drinking from the bag. She filed away what she'd learned as Tyler kept talking, letting her know about what he knew and she compared it to all she'd learned along the way as well.

She thought his plans were extremely short sided and would never work in the end but she kept that knowledge to herself, thankful she'd gotten herself an in to all of the madness. It was hardly her fault if the boy in front of her had no idea exactly what kind of tactician he was dealing with in Klaus, if he couldn't realize that for every plan he came up with that Klaus had multiple counter ones at his ready.

Katherine doubted that Tyler would survive in the end, but she didn't care, all that mattered was her own survival…and the ghost of a chance that she could find some sort of happiness with Elijah once she gained her freedom.

* * *

To say that Caroline was angry was a bit of an understatement. There was a man in a cell who  _knew_  information about her father, about her ancestors, and she was being kept from him. It was driving her mad and she'd only known for less than an hour that her family was even further tied into all of the supernatural drama than she'd previously believed. She had known her family knew of vampires for a long time, considering they'd created some weird torture chamber and her parents were both Council members, but she had been told it was more than that. There were more secrets about her father that she'd only just begun to scrape the surface of and she needed to know them.

They were the only tie that she had left to him. Steven wanted nothing to do with her, and while Klaus had said they could get information from him about it, all they'd done during the call was learn more about the stupid Hunters and potentials, which while linked to her dad and his research seriously wasn't enough new pieces to satisfy her hunger for knowledge.

"You're not focusing, sweetheart," Klaus sighed, breath tickling her ear as he came up behind her.

Caroline knew she should be but her mind was elsewhere, still back in that cell, mulling over the bits and pieces she had picked up. Maybe she'd been the one to say he could train her but that had been before he'd stopped her from learning what she wanted to know. "I want to talk to Vaughn," she muttered, shoving her elbow back into Klaus' chest as she stepped away from him.

They were in a clearing behind Vincent's house, surrounded by the wall of the house on one side and trees on all of the others. The door that led back into the house lay behind her with Klaus blocking her way and Caroline had a feeling he wouldn't be letting her back in it anytime soon. "I believe it was your idea to be trained, Caroline," Klaus reminded, walking toward her.

She crossed her arms, her stubbornness shining through as she glared at him. "Why can't I talk to him? It's not like anything he says can really be used against me. It's all stuff from the freaking past."

"Then I fail to see how it's vital that you know about it right now," Klaus replied, which only increased her anger. "You'll get your information, Caroline, though I do truly believe you'll learn more from Steven—and I'll happily ensure you get what you want out of him—than you will out of our current guest." She snorted at that descriptor. "Steven can be manipulated to tell the truth. We have nothing to use against Vaughn to ensure that he does the same."

"You are so freaking paranoid," she muttered, rolling her eyes because of what he was saying. Of course he was looking at how the two men would try to use the information for their gain instead.

Klaus was in front of her in seconds, hand grasping her chin and forcing her to look up at him. Amazing how his grip while tight and unyielding wasn't at all painful. "Don't be naive, Caroline. Steven thinks of you as a monster. He will use whatever information he has to cut into you, to cause you pain and tear you down unless he knows doing so will have dire consequences toward his little girl. I've no doubt that Vaughn sees you as a piece to use to get me to do as he needs, just as Silas and his witches have tried multiple times."

"Or  _maybe_  he's not someone who goes around freaking manipulating people. Just because you do that doesn't mean  _everyone_ does it," she tried to counter; pulling away from him, thankful he did let her go.

"Everyone manipulates, Caroline. Parents do it to their children all the time. Children to their parents. Friends to one another. It's a human trait, something our vampire emotions only exacerbate," he continued, clasping his hands behind his back as he regarded her. "You're quite adept at it yourself. It's second nature from birth, a means to get what one needs to survive, to get what one simply wants."

"You have a seriously distorted view of the world," Caroline bit out, trying not to give any credence to what he was saying. Yes, she'd manipulate him more than once,  _for her friends_ , but she didn't think she just went around doing it all the damn time. Not like he was implying everyone did. Maybe people did use what they knew about one another to get the people they loved or disliked or just talked to on occasion to see their point of view and sway them to it, but she wouldn't think of the world as that harsh of a place.

"And you have a very naive one," Klaus replied, taking a step toward her. "It's not surprising considering how sheltered you were. Though perhaps naive isn't the appropriate word. You want to see the good, to not see all of the shadows that are cast every day that swallow this world whole. You've seen the worst in men, Caroline. You've been tortured and you still try to find the good pieces, continue to persevere and go for the more optimistic route."

"I'm not one for letting all the bad crap destroy the good that still happens." Like she'd told Tyler back before their lives had gone even more insane. She just wanted her friends and family to be happy even in the middle of all the crazy unhappy bits. "What's the point in living for eternity if I do? Might as well have just let me die in that bed on my birthday if that's the case. Or like any of the other times more recently."

She didn't even see Klaus move, he'd been so quick, and she was slamming into the trunk of a tree before she even realized that he was moving them. His expression was hard, eyes a steady yellow as he glared down at her, obviously not appreciating what she'd said. "Do not joke with me about your life," Klaus warned before stepping back and leaving Caroline shaking slightly against the tree.

She reeled in the extra emotions that wanted to swallow her in that moment. " _Ugh._ I wasn't joking. I was making a point!"

"Yes, well, try to make it without disregarding your own importance, Caroline," Klaus suggested. "I'm aware that your friends have done a dismal job of showing that they appreciate having you in their lives, but I'd think you'd be more than a little aware by now how much I do value you."

She couldn't look at him in that moment, instead she stared at the grass near his feet, not wanting to hear these declarations that were so close to love that she couldn't just brush them off as she used to. This wasn't just a case of Klaus trying to win her like some prize or scratch an itch or a million other scenarios that had played out in her head. She didn't think they'd even really scratched the surface of how much he cared for her and that was overwhelming.

"Can we just get on with the training part?" she grumbled, realizing that he'd successfully stopped her insistence on seeing Vaughn. For the moment at least. Sneaky bastard.

"Gladly," Klaus murmured, and Caroline was flat on her back before she'd actually processed what he'd said.

It went on like that for an hour. Caroline trying to evade Klaus' moves and him easily tossing her, slamming her to the ground, to the wall, to a tree. The fact that she  _knew_  he was holding back and not utilizing all of his strength was only increasing her frustration over being unable to outwit him even once. "My enemies will hardly give you a break. They'll not care that you are a mere baby vampire. They'll exploit that, work to push at your weaknesses," Klaus told her as he slammed her down onto the ground again, pinning her to the grass.

"Well how the hell am I supposed to freaking beat them then?" she growled, fangs baring in her growing annoyance.

"Exploiting their weaknesses if you've had time to learn them is one. Always being on your guard when we are not together—something that won't be happening often—and knowing what your own strengths are," Klaus replied, and oh she did not like the fondness in his eyes as he looked down at her, finger tracing her veins.

She tried to look for weaknesses in Klaus' method in the next round, tried to see where he might have any faults that she could exploit and end up with him on the ground or tossed through the air instead of her, but she still ended up flung into the wall. "You'll get better with practice," Klaus pointed out, his voice irritating her and her body aching from the impact even if it was already healing.

Caroline didn't wait for him to attack again, rushing at him this time to try and get him off balance for once. Maybe it would have worked on another vampire, but Klaus was an Original and a Hybrid, making his reflexes far superior to her own. He had her trapped against his body, hand on her throat in a way that he could easily snap it if he desired. "Better," he murmured, lips brushing her ear, and Caroline couldn't fight back the shiver that seemed to run up her spine at his words.

They continued on with the training, the blood pumping in her veins, her senses going into overdrive as he kept telling her to  _focus_ , to try and predict where he'd be coming from, to listen to the damn world all around them and push out everything else but the sound of his movements. She'd done something similar before whenever she was trying to locate people in Mystic Falls or just needed to hear the rise and fall of her mother's chest when she lay in bed, unable to sleep but needing to know her mother was alive.

Caroline rarely ever got a blow in, his speed and agility outdoing her own, and it wasn't like she wasn't incredibly agile. Over ten years of gymnastics turned into cheerleading had helped her become incredibly flexible, but she wasn't used to using those skills to defend herself or to attack someone else, at least not to this extent. Klaus definitely was used to it and Caroline had a feeling that he wasn't even using all of his strength against her.

Klaus released her again and she stumbled forward. She knew that he wouldn't be expecting her to attack him again so quickly, but Caroline did, turning around and flashing at him. She was _supposed to_  sink her fangs into his shoulder, to try and maintain a grip on him that he wouldn't be able to so easily break. Her body seemed to have a different agenda though and for some reason instead of her fangs doing as she wanted, her lips crashed against Klaus' just as his body slammed the two of them into a tree.

She'd definitely thrown him off balance, and maybe she'd remember to be giddy and smug about that later, when she wasn't earnestly pressing her body against his, hands gripping the nape of his neck as she deepened the kiss, one of his own moving to tangle in her hair while the other curled around her back, moving to her waist and tugging her impossibly closer to him.

It had to be her hormones on overdrive, her body so incredibly on edge because of their fighting, but Caroline knew those excuses wouldn't really hold up. She was kissing Klaus because  _she wanted to,_  because it was becoming harder and harder to deny how drawn she was to all of him. A nagging voice in the back of her mind tried to remind her of Tyler, to point out that Klaus was a monster, but she silenced it, pushing it away, reminding the voice that she was one too, even if she wasn't quite the monster that Klaus could be.

The bark scraped against her back through her shirt and she welcomed the pain, wanted everything to be hard and fast and fitting for what the two of them were. She needed rough and animalistic, wanted it to be everything that tied her into being a vampire, and she was tearing at his shirt, tossing the remains of it to the side as Klaus pulled back.

The look of utter adoration in his eyes had her stilling against him, unable to move, to think, as she saw that glimpse of his humanity shining through. His fingers were so soft, so gentle that it made her want to cry, because this was what she feared the most. These glimpses of the man tangled up with the beast, seeing all of the parts of Klaus and being unable to deny that she liked every one of them, that they intrigued her to no end, and that she was drawn to them in ways that would never disappear. Even if she didn't always appreciate or agree with his methods.

Her hands moved to his shoulders, gripping them tightly as she continued to stare at him for a moment before surging forward and capturing his mouth all over again, trying to erase the gentleness, nipping at his lips and her nails digging into his skin. His hands moved to her ass, pressing and lifting and Caroline easily complied, wrapping her legs around his waist as she clung tighter to him.

In a flash they were inside, the rough bark of the tree replaced by the softness of the cover of her current bed. His hands were on her dress, tugging it up and over her head and she helped, lips finding his again as soon as it was tossed aside. She expected him to make quick work of her bra and panties next, to be like Tyler and Matt had been, going immediately for close contact, like practically every other person she'd ever been with in her eighteen years. But Klaus didn't, he simply drew his hands down her sides, across her stomach as he kissed her slowly but deeply, tongue gaining entrance and brushing with her own.

It wasn't the animalistic entanglement that she wanted with sweaty limbs and quick movements to satisfy the coiling in her belly. It was far too intimate, too much like lovers being reacquainted after being apart for too long. It was everything she'd never had before as Klaus left her mouth, pressing hot kisses down her neck and across her shoulder blades, his fingers drifting along the skin just below her breasts. The way he touched her was such a contrast to how rough she usually associated his hands being in regards to everyone else. Maybe it was the artist in him coming out, tempting her with pieces of him that she couldn't quite hide from.

This was a snippet of what life would be like, of what he would offer and give to her if she chose him, and Caroline knew he was trying to sell himself to her, to show exactly how he'd be able to worship her day in and day out whenever she did finally say yes. Because she knew he wouldn't give up until she did, whether it be today or in a century or two.

"I'm not one of your teenage lovers, Caroline," Klaus murmured against her ear as she closed her eyes, trying to blot out his voice and to focus on his hands instead. His head dipped, nose brushing against her neck in a gentle caress, stubble scraping against her neck before he kissed her again, soft and slow, the intimacy of it causing her to move her hands to his hair, reciprocating the kiss back just as slowly.

His hand brushed her ribcage, over her bra-clad breasts before moving to cup her cheek, thumb stroking her skin as he pulled away, staring down at her. "There are times for quick and fast against a tree or a door or even in a bed. But I will not allow my first time having you to be anything less than a full night of ravishing you as you deserve to be, and we both know you're not quite ready for the consequences of what would happen if we followed through with this right now."

Was he seriously rejecting her? Was that actually happening? Caroline tensed underneath him, ready to lash out or crawl into a little ball of humiliation, maybe both at the same time, but Klaus' hand pressed onto her stomach, keeping her flat. "I am more than happy to give you a taste of what's to come when you finally are ready," he continued, and she opened her eyes at that, uncertain what he even meant before his hand slid underneath her underwear.

She swallowed at the lust and adoration in his eyes, legs parting as his hand moved lower, slipping into her folds and she tried not to cringe at how wet she already was. He stilled his movements for a moment, no doubt giving her an opportunity to push him away if she wanted, before his fingers slid, finding that bundle of nerves he'd been seeking out and rubbing.

Her eyes drifted shut at the contact, unable to look at him as her body arched slightly into his touch. This was so incredibly wrong, something she shouldn't be enjoying, something she shouldn't want or be encouraging, but she couldn't stop her body from reacting. Breathy little gasps left her mouth, toes curling as she gripped the blanket beneath her, tearing the fabric. She could feel the heat of pleasure infusing every cell in her body. One by one, they seemed to fill up, overwhelming her completely as she no longer tried to hold back how she felt, as she allowed it all come to spiral out of her, body vibrating with pleasure. It had been so long and she was so incredibly wired in that moment that it didn't take long for her to go careening over that edge, falling apart beneath him, especially when his blunt teeth scraped along her shoulder blade.

"So beautiful, my Caroline," Klaus murmured as her body trembled in the aftermath of her release, kissing her shoulder before nuzzling her neck.

Caroline didn't dare open her eyes, her mind a mess of confusion as she tried to come to grips with not only what she'd allowed to happen but the fact she'd desperately wanted him to touch her as well. She wasn't ready to hear Klaus gloat or to see the smugness in his face, didn't want to deal with those consequences at all, and was grateful that he simply pressed another kiss to her forehead and left the room, leaving her alone with her thoughts as he sought out his own relief.

Caroline curled up on her side as soon as the door closed and stared out at the wall, waiting for the guilt to set in.

Unsure what to do when it never came.

* * *

Lucy knew she had made a great number of mistakes over the years. She'd been a bit of a wild child in her youth, wanting to have fun and use her magic as she saw fit. Not wanting to be beholden to the Coven or constantly under her mother's thumb. It had been during that carefree, laissez faire state that she'd run into a bit of trouble and Katherine Pierce had saved her life making her beholden to the vampire for some time.

She'd done a few spells here and there that she wasn't particularly proud of but it had been that last one in Mystic Falls when she'd realized she'd nearly crossed another of her own bloodline that had been Lucy's final straw. She'd told Bonnie she would be back, that she'd help the girl with her magic, and then she'd never returned.

Lucy had a million excuses for it, from trying to restore some good after all the bad she'd done to the fact she'd taken over Sanai's Coven, but really the reason had been simple. Lucy hadn't wanted to get involved vampire messes again, wanted to stay far away from the chaos those creatures could bring into a witch's life. Lucy had seen in those few hours that Bonnie's life was irrevocably linked to the vampires of Mystic Falls, that it most likely always would be, and she wasn't willing to be drawn back down that path.

It had been selfish, it had probably been the wrong way to go about everything too, but Lucy couldn't change the past, she could only try and fix the present and hope for better for the future. She knew Bonnie held resentment, who wouldn't after all of the horrors she'd seen and the fact that the Spirits had stripped her of magic only to realize they actually needed the girl? That loss of something so intrinsic to her being had to have been devastating and Lucy didn't think she'd ever forgive herself for not having been there for Bonnie in the aftermath.

Though really, if she'd been there during the in between parts maybe then her cousin wouldn't have ever lost that part of her or dabbled in Expression in the first place.

"We need to talk, cuz," Lucy started as she sat down by Bonnie, grateful that Kol didn't seem to be anywhere in the area. No doubt he was using the bustling airport as a means for finding a quick snack.

Bonnie tensed at the intrusion, but closed the book she'd been reading and looked over at her cousin. Lucy really couldn't blame her for the closed off feeling she got from the younger girl. "I said I would come back and I didn't," Lucy continued, watching Bonnie tense at the admission. "I almost did a few times but Mystic Falls and vampires. Not a good combination."

"Think I don't know that? Do you think I didn't try to leave it all behind? To not have to deal with it? I tried so many times and kept getting pulled back in. One thing after another." The harshness to Bonnie's tone was expected but it still had Lucy drawing back a bit. This wasn't the same lost girl she'd met over a year ago who'd pleaded for help, who'd wanted answers. This was someone who'd been broken by the truths. "But I don't get to run away like everyone else. My friends need me. The Spirits need me  _for now_."

The bitterness in that last part had Lucy frowning. "We'll figure out a way to make it so they can't strip you again after this."

Because Lucy knew that Bonnie was becoming increasingly powerful. Doing the spell that was needed to take down Silas required a lot of power and being the direct descendant of the witch who'd placed the spell, Bonnie was the one who the Spirits would be best able to give that power to. Unfortunately considering who Bonnie was friends with and the lengths she'd already gone to protect those friends, Lucy had a feeling the Spirits would want to take back that power after Silas was defeated.

" _We_  will? Or are you going to run again once it all gets tough?" Bonnie asked, and maybe that wasn't exactly fair, but Lucy felt as though she deserved it.

"I'm not going anywhere this time," Lucy promised, touching Bonnie's hand, letting the magic flow through the two of them.

Bonnie stared down at their hands for a moment before pulling her own away. "I guess we'll see if you're telling the truth once everything goes down."

"Don't let resentment and bitterness be your guide, Bonnie," Lucy warned, knowing the effects that could have on a witch. Especially one who was usually so caught up in vampire business.

Eddie's arrival cut off any reply Bonnie might have made. "It's growing again," he murmured, shaking with fear, before tapping past his neck. "I think it's almost complete."

"Someone is still out there killing. We need the Coven to locate the rest of the Hunters," Bonnie muttered before patting the seat beside her. "It's not done yet. And we're going to be getting in the air in about twenty minutes. Best we can do with what we know."

"Everyone who has a role in this is going to need to get to the same place and since none of us know what the map will reveal we're all running blind," Lucy pointed out, and the young Hunter nodded, though he didn't seem to feel any better with that knowledge.

"And there's still parts of this that we don't even know completely what they mean," Bonnie replied, giving Eddie's arm a squeeze. "Like how the sword that Klaus had is involved."

"That's not really helping," Eddie murmured, rubbing his temples as he leaned forward, eyes shut as he worked on his breathing.

Lucy leaned back as Bonnie continued to try and comfort Eddie, her gaze drifting about the airport and spotting Kol heading back over to them, not at all liking the extra bounce in his step. She wondered how many he'd killed while he was away.

"Everyone looks so glum," the Original commented as he sat down across from them. "We're finally nearing the fun part. You'd think you would all be a little more excited for the chance to end the Big Bad."

Bonnie simply glared at him, while Eddie kept his head down, still working on his breathing. Lucy sighed, wondering what in the world the Spirits had been thinking in having them team up with the Originals. This group working together was asking for trouble and she wondered once everything ended how many of them would actually walk away alive. She didn't even want to think about how the coming events would alter each of them in ways they'd never be able to recover completely from if they did survive.

"Not to mention all the fun we'll have with my little family reunion. I can't wait to see the progress Nik has made on your little blonde friend," Kol continued, and Lucy sighed, knowing that would set her cousin off on a tirade against the vampire.

It was going to be a long flight.

* * *

How was he supposed to walk away when he could smell her arousal still in the air, could smell it on his fingers, could taste it on his tongue once he'd brought them to his mouth? He pressed a hand to her door before forcing his feet to turn him away from it, every step painful as he remembered her breathy little sighs, the arch of her hips against his hand, the softness of her body pressed to his, so close and yet so far all at once.

Klaus stripped away his clothes as soon as he entered the bedroom Vincent had set aside for him, grinning at the fact that it was next door to Caroline's. He  _wanted_  her to hear him, to know how affected he was by her presence, by what they had started and he had reluctantly stopped. It wasn't the time though, not with her being unable to look at him after her release that fear and uncertainty still lingering in her mind, and Klaus knew that once he had Caroline, once they crossed that bridge any chance of him waiting a year or a century for her would be over.

How would he possibly be able to get a taste of her, to have her in his bed and in his heart, to having her as his and he be hers, only to have it all ripped away, to have to wait for what he wanted all over again? Klaus was too selfish to ever allow that to happen and he knew that he couldn't be selfish with Caroline, not like that. Not when doing so would cause resentment and have her pulling away even further from him.

Everything in regards to the baby vampire had to be carefully balanced, the two of them on a precarious edge, with him fearful that she'd tip backwards, ending up further away from him instead of forwards to where he knew she belonged. And with the others coming the edge was only going to become harder to navigate, especially with Bonnie's eventual arrival. The last thing he wanted was for the little witch to manipulate Caroline away from him.

But those were thoughts for another time when he wasn't stepping into the shower, hand gripping his cock as he stood under the hot spray. It wouldn't take long for him to find his own release, not with how hard he'd already grown and the smell of her still clingy to his fingers. Klaus didn't bother to be quiet, listening in for where Caroline was and hearing her still on her bed, turning on top of the sheets, and grinned at the thought of her hearing him. He focused on the images he had of her now, of the way her mouth opened and closed, how her teeth grazed her bottom lip as her head had twisted, heels digging into the covers as he'd brushed her clit. Thought of what it would be like to have those very lips wrapped around him, of how it would be to have his head between her legs making her gasp and cry out.

Next time he'd have her crying out his name.

Next time he'd show her the joys of feeding as she came.

He was finished far quicker than he wanted, though perhaps that was for the best considering his siblings and her friends could be arriving at any moment.

Klaus tilted his head, focusing in on Caroline again, hearing a soft moan from her room and couldn't help but smirk, having a pretty good idea of what was transpiring. Perhaps he'd enjoy himself a little longer in the shower. Wouldn't hurt to get all of his pent up energy out.

* * *

Everything was going exactly as Silas had predicted, precisely as he'd shown her in the dreams she'd been getting from him for the last few years. She didn't know why they hadn't started until recently, not when she'd been doing Expression for over fifty years, but Valerie wasn't about to look a gift horse in the mouth once they had finally come.

The witches who needed to die were dead, their magic banished to wander aimlessly in the world, unable to be used for a number of generations by those few who remained. It was the perfect ending for those she'd never quite fit in with, those who'd told her countless times that her thirst for power would be her undoing. Seemed as though it had been all of theirs instead of her own.

She'd even acquired a Hunter for their purposes, something Valerie hadn't been certain they would be able to do. Newly awakened and not realizing what exactly his purpose was definitely benefited her and the cause. It was easy enough to find him vampires to kill while getting the other members of Silas' cult to sacrifice themselves for the immortals rising. Even if it seemed that the other players in the game were slowly but surely realizing what was happening in regards to those groups of newly turned vampires.

It was no matter, there wasn't too much mark left to reveal and a few more dead vampires would do the trick. But none of that would matter if she and the rest of her crew weren't in Europe as well. All of the mythology surrounding Silas pointed to his origins being in the Mediterranean and while that was a rather large area to cover, it was better to be somewhere in Europe than on the wrong continent completely. Especially when she knew the others had at least one Hunter at their disposal.

Damn Bonnie Bennett for breaking free and taking that young one with her. She still couldn't believe she'd failed Silas in that mission. She was supposed to keep the Bennett girl, to push her down the path of Expressionism so she could be exploited for the latter tasks, but the girl slipped free from her grasp. Valerie was still beating herself up for that failure. Though her followers were pleased she was no longer taking it out on them.

" _You will not fail me this time."_

It had been ages since she'd heard Silas' voice in her head and she closed her eyes, welcoming the darkness into her soul, letting it flow through her body as he was given a window to the world through her eyes for the moment.

"Never again," Valerie promised, strumming her fingers against the wall as she looked out at her group.

" _The Hunter?"_

Valerie looked over in the young man's direction, letting the immortal see which of the current Five was in their group, before her gaze moved around the hanger as he wanted, letting him see the rest of her retinue as well. She didn't know why he wanted to see everyone, never could completely understand Silas' motives but it wasn't in her to question what he was doing or why. All that mattered is the power she would get because she helped him rise.

His presence was pulled away as quickly as it had entered her, leaving her feeling empty and needing a moment to regain her bearings as she became in control of her body again. Valerie waited for further instruction, but there was none that time.

"What are we doing with this one?" one of her Coven asked, nodding toward the broken vampire sitting at the table in the hanger bay.

They would be taking a private plane over and Silas had led Elena Gilbert to their group. It'd taken some persuasion to get the Hunter not to drive a stake immediately through the girl's heart, but it was obvious from the get-go that she wasn't a threat. She was barely functioning and Valerie couldn't help her giddiness at how broken the girl had managed to become. It took some intense power to break someone that completely and if Silas could do that while still trapped in his grave then she could only imagine how powerful he would be once freed.

"She'll be coming with us," Valerie replied, glancing over at the girl. "Jab her with vervain to knock her out if you're truly that worried about her being a danger."

If the members of the Coven started to falter now she would have to dispose of them, another sacrifice to help raise Silas from the grave. Not to mention it would cut down on who she'd be sharing power with, something Valerie was more than happy to do as she didn't want to share power with anyone if at all possible. Silas didn't want the girl dead yet though. Elena Gilbert still had a part to play in his fully awakening and Valerie would do whatever was necessary to ensure that Silas' demands were met with, even if it meant killing her own people.

It wasn't as though she hadn't done it before.

* * *

Klaus could hear Caroline moving about in her room and while she hadn't ventured out of it since their latest encounter, he figured it was best to give her a few more moments to herself. She'd shown him part of her that he didn't think she'd quite meant to yet, her intentions having been for something far more rough and quick, something she no doubt thought she could easily brush off as the heat of the moment. Not that he'd ever have allowed her to get away with that type of thinking in the first place, but Klaus would be damned if he let her close herself off to him once she was finally opening up in ways he'd been convinced would take far longer than they were.

High stakes matters, ones that pulled at emotions and rubbed them raw were always good for shortening timetables, the heightened emotions forcing people to come to grips with what was happening around them sooner than calmer times allowed. The isolation from all of the nay sayers was definitely in his favor as well, something Klaus knew was coming to an end with his siblings arrival being rather imminent.

But no matter what happened after this moment, Klaus knew that Caroline wouldn't be able to go back to the girl she had been. Mystic Falls wouldn't be enough for her any longer. She'd gotten a taste of the world and he knew she'd want more of it. The only thing that might be a draw there for a bit would be her mother, but Klaus had a feeling the Sheriff wouldn't be too keen on returning to that town once her memories were restored. Caroline's ability to remain in Mystic Falls without people wondering about her lack of aging was about to come to an end. There was only so long that someone looking eternally seventeen could play at being older and the citizens of Mystic Falls had seen her grow up, they wouldn't be just passing strangers but a group of small town busy bodies poking their noses and stirring up trouble.

He also knew that she wouldn't be able to deny how drawn she was to him, not with what had transpired between them only hours before. She could have told him to stop, pushed him away, but she'd not only initiated the moment, she had urged him on with her response and wanted more than he'd been willing to doll out in the moment. Klaus knew she was frightened, a part of him was as well, this was all entirely new territory for him, but that fear would only be able to keep her back for so long when her curiosity and drive was pushing her toward him.

It might not have been love on her part like it was for him, not yet, but he believed it could be—otherwise what was the point of love? What was the point of the ripping, soul crushing pain in his chest during the times she'd been hurting and he'd thought he'd lose her in the last few weeks? What was the point in this ability to care for another that he could not dagger and keep out of harm's way if she didn't love him back in time? He knew she was intrigued, knew she cared in her own way even if she didn't want to, but she was still young.

So incredibly young compared to him and he'd seen her give her love foolishly to Tyler who didn't appreciate it, to her friends who didn't value it the way they should either. Klaus didn't know how long it would take, but he did know that he wouldn't rest until she finally reciprocated those feelings. Not in the ways he usually did, not with force and demands. No, that wouldn't work in this situation. Neither would locking her up and forcing her to remain with only him until he became her whole world—though that thought had crossed his mind once or twice if he was telling the truth.

He couldn't make her love him, couldn't trick her into it, or manipulate it from Caroline. All Klaus knew was that he did love her and one day she would feel the same. Hopefully it wouldn't take a century for that to happen.

"Ah, so hiding away won't be your method of coping tonight?" Klaus remarked as Caroline walked into the room, instantly regretting the words as soon as they were out of his mouth.

He had to hand it to her, she didn't shrink at them, didn't turn around and try to ignore all that had happened, but really he wouldn't have expected that kind of reaction from her anyway. She'd always held her own against his sharp tongue. The eye roll came so naturally to her as she sat down on one of the chairs across from him, her hair still wrapped up in a towel, the smell of something citrusy filling the room.

"So are you deliberately trying to push my buttons because you think I'm here to tell you it was all some colossal mistake or because you're just being a giant ass?" she asked, and he couldn't help but smile at that, not surprised that she was able to cut to the heart of what he was doing so easily. "I'd like to know if I'm dealing with 'lashing out' Klaus or 'I'm an Alpha dick' Klaus. Though they're usually quite similar."

It was adorable how she even did air quotations as she spoke all of that. "So it wasn't a mistake then?" he mused, arching a brow as she shrugged.

"I initiated it all, didn't I?" Caroline murmured, though it seemed she couldn't look at him during that admission. " _But_ —" of course there was a but "—it doesn't mean like…I dunno. It's not me like falling at your feet and being all yes, Klaus,  _take me._ There is still a lot of me figuring out what the hell it means going on in my head. But no, not a mistake."

"I'd wonder who had compelled you if you were to ever say that phrase to me, Caroline," Klaus replied, unable to hold back a smile as he watched her try not to grin.

This was definitely going better than he had expected and Klaus wasn't about to complain about the fact that she wasn't hiding away and building back up all of her walls, and instead partaking in that banter he so enjoyed between the two of them.

"Please tell me that this place at least has running water," Rebekah's voice carried through the halls and into the room and Klaus frowned.

He should have known everything was working out too perfectly for him in that moment for something not to come along and throw a wrench into his plans. "Looks like the cavalry is here," Caroline murmured, and the easiness that she'd been exhibiting moments before seemed to have evaporated.

Klaus couldn't blame her. His sister was a hard one to get along with during the best of times. He could hear Vincent trying to assure her of the updated aspects of the house as he led her through the halls, Stefan no doubt on her heels, which only left Elijah's whereabouts in the house to determine.

"I'm gonna go see Stefan," Caroline continued as she rose, heading toward the door that opened, revealing Elijah on the other side.

"Caroline Forbes. It's a pleasure to finally meet you," Elijah greeted, and Klaus didn't like the way his brother was looking her over, as though he already knew of her importance.

"Right. Hi. Need to find Stefan now," Caroline glanced back at Klaus before slipping from the room, the door shutting behind her.

Klaus leaned back in his chair, silently regarding his brother who was finally turning to look at him. "I see that Rebekah is still having difficulty not spreading gossip. You'd think fifty years in a coffin over the last instance would have her taught her something."

"So it's true then," Elijah started, and Klaus waved a hand, motioning for his brother to take up the seat Caroline had vacated.

"I suppose that depends on what little tales our sister has been spinning," Klaus replied, wondering where Vincent kept the liquor.

"That you are in love and considering the girl's heart has not already been pulled from her chest at the first signs of something stirring in you…" Elijah let his voice trail off and Klaus pressed his lips together, already knowing what was going on inside his brother's head.

Redemption.

That foolish notion that Elijah thought would somehow be something Klaus would ever want to embark upon. There was nothing to redeem about him. He lived the life he wanted, took what he wanted, experienced life as he wished. And now that Mikael was dead and he actually had a chance to live without the constant looks over his shoulders he was not about to let his brother try and lead him down another foolish journey.

Klaus couldn't deny that he'd wanted his family reunited after the end of Mikael; part of him still did and would no doubt try for it all over again once Silas was dealt with. Elijah's dreams were not something he would ever allow to come to fruition. He might have found the ability to love Caroline but that would not turn him back into who he'd been as a human. He would not allow himself to be that weak ever again. Especially not when showing weakness would allow his enemies to hurt strike at her and kill her.

"It's been a thousand years, brother, surely you've given up on this meaningless dream of yours to bring me back to the boy that I once was," Klaus replied, rising from the chair, all sense of niceties evaporating. "I am not that boy. Just as you are not that man. They are dead and gone, Elijah. I am who I am and nothing will change that."

Not even love.

And like hell would he allow Elijah to use Caroline as a pawn in his usual games. "And don't think to try and enlist Caroline in whatever plots are going through your head, Elijah," Klaus continued as he headed toward the door. "I will have no problem daggering you and tossing your coffin into the sea if you make one false step toward her."

He didn't bother to see his brother's reaction to that statement, needing to leave the room and head toward the village to take out his anger on some unsuspecting villager. If Klaus had looked back he would have seen Elijah's smirk, but he hardly needed to see it to know that his brother wouldn't be so easily swayed.

Perhaps he'd need to slaughter more than one villager to relieve himself of his growing tension and with Kol and the little witch's arrival on the horizon Klaus knew it was only going to get worse in the coming days. He simply needed to ensure that the others didn't ruin the progress he'd made with Caroline while also working on the Silas problem that was bringing them all together in the first place.

The screams should help him come up with a few new plans he might need to dole out if Elijah became too much of an issue.

Redemption; why the bloody hell would he ever want that?

Klaus didn't expect for Caroline to show up in his path when he was halfway toward the town, lips pressed together in a way that told him she knew what he was planning to do and she didn't quite agree with his idea.

"Just because your brother got under your skin doesn't mean you should go and kill innocent people," Caroline told him, hands on her hips as she glared at him, towel no longer on her head but her curls still damp from her earlier shower.

"Hybrid, love. I don't need a reason to want to slaughter innocents. It's instinctual," Klaus pointed out, moving to side step her, though he certainly couldn't discount the rather interesting change in circumstances.

"Not all instincts should be followed," Caroline countered, and he stopped at that, shifting before she could react so that he was standing right behind her, chest pressed against her back.

"Says the girl who's been enjoying following her instincts," Klaus replied, enjoying the way her body tensed, neck arching to the side as her pheromones spiked.

She twisted around so that she could see him, eyes darkened with blood and Klaus smiled at that, twisting one of her curls between his fingers. "Maybe you can put yours to better use now and we can continue our training," Caroline suggested, and Klaus quirked a brow at that, uncertain what she meant.

Her lips curved into a sly smile as she stepped back, tongue darting out to lick her lips. "Catch me if you can," she murmured before flashing off toward the woods.

Klaus knew she was falling back into her distraction routine, saving some meaningless villagers from his wrath, but he wasn't about to back down from that challenge. Nor could he wait to enjoy what he hoped would happen once he found her.

His family and the Silas mess and the rest of the world be damned for the evening, he had a hunt to complete.

 


	23. Chapter 23

_Let not light see my black and deep desires — Macbeth_

* * *

Klaus had to hand it to Caroline, she was actually keeping a fair amount of distance between the two of them, and alternating directions once he picked up her trail again. Part of that was because he was allowing it. If he'd utilized his full speed he would have caught her before she ever stepped foot into the woods, but her laughter as she flashed about, working to dodge his movements had him letting her go as she pleased, prolonging the inevitable capture.

He found her in a clearing by a river, realizing a moment later that it was the exact one he'd washed the vervain off of her in, the one where they'd shared their first kiss. Her tattered dress was still by the bank of it and he saw her standing near it, gazing out at the water. He wondered which part of that encounter she was remembering in that moment as she turned around to look at him, a carefree smile gracing her face.

Klaus hadn't seen one that bright since the Mystic Falls pageant when they'd been laughing over her application. He arched a brow, ready to comment on that, not at all surprised when she spoke first. Caroline never was one for prolonged silences.

"Did you ever play hide and seek when you were a kid? I dunno if you'd have called it that but really what other words are there for it? So like maybe you'd have called it that but in whatever it was you spoke a thousand years ago," she rambled, smoothing down her shirt as she glanced around the area. "We used to play it when I was little. Bonnie, Elena and I. Sometimes Jeremy would tag along if we let him. Or Matt. Tyler wasn't part of our group back then. Still…not really even in high school. I mean he did football with Matt and then he and I were together but he was never really  _in it_."

She was frowning then and Klaus simply nodded, not quite sure where her line of thinking was currently headed and knew it was best to let Caroline get it all out. "I don't understand any of this. You've hurt all of them. Like every single person in my life who matters to me in some way or another. You killed his mom. You drove Tyler out of town and you're wanting to kill him. Like you can't tell me that it's not something that's constantly going on in your head, all the ways you're going to torture him before he finally dies."

"Actually, I haven't thought of my wayward hybrid in quite some time. Had more important matters on my mind." The look he gave her allowed for no question that he was speaking of  _her_  and not Silas and the rest of it.

Caroline was doing that adorable quirk of running her hands through her hair, a telltale sign that she was either frustrated or uncertain, probably a mixture of both. "See. Like you need to  _stop that._ You're the bad guy. I cannot be like developing feelings for the  _bad guy._  I did that once—and okay I didn't  _know_  he was the bad guy at the time and they weren't really even feelings, more of the whole just lust and wanting to be wanted—but that ended really badly for me."

Klaus really didn't like being compared to the elder Salvatore, especially not in Caroline's mind, but he held his tongue, letting her continue uninterrupted, too caught up in the fact she'd just admitted to developing feelings. He'd known she was. Had known she couldn't stuff him into that box she and her friends had labeled for him for quite some time. Though his own actions certainly hadn't helped with that in recent months but he couldn't allow Tyler and his hybrids' blatant betrayal go unpunished.

She was still talking though and he forced himself to focus on that. "And you just waltz into my life, into all of our lives really, but the way you did into mine with the bracelets and the talk of the world and the damn horse picture. I was so certain, so so so  _so_  certain that you were totally doing it all as like a way to get an in with the group or just to screw with Tyler at first. Like why not, that's how it usually goes for me. It's why Damon didn't kill me at first and you're supposed to be way worse than he is—and sometimes you  _are_ —but it wasn't that. It's  _real_. All of it." She paused, nervous energy seeming to spill from her as she wrung her hands, smoothed her shirt again or worried her bottom lip with her teeth. "And it's like twisted beyond belief that what I seriously thought were cheesy lines weren't. They were genuine questions. You really did want to know what all of my hopes and dreams were. And I do not know how to process the whole  _you_ who wants the best for me, who wants to show me the world, and who like has done way more than really anyone to protect me with the asshole that I also see."

"Ah, so I see we've reached the part where you try to stifle everything and return back to your former state of being. All of that control wrapping tightly around you," Klaus muttered, eyes darkening at how quickly he saw the events taking a turn for the worse. He'd thought he at least had until Bonnie arrived for that to occur.

" _Ugh_." Caroline groaned rolling her eyes as well as her frustrations pilled over. "I am not stifling anything. I'm trying to freaking process what the hell is going on in my head and telling you about it. Like do you think this is easy for me? I know none of this is easy for you. But so sorry I'm not going to just swoon into your arms or whatever."

He simply glared at her, not particularly wanting to hear more of her words at that moment. Perhaps he would head back to the village and eat the lot of them. "How can I want to be around you when I'm supposed to be in love with Tyler?" she continued, doing nothing to alleviate his mood. "But I do, Klaus. I don't understand it. It's driving me  _crazy_  not being able to understand it."

Somewhere during her speech she'd closed the distance between them and right in front of him, not seeming to care at all about his darkening mood. Most would shirk away, but not Caroline. Never her. She always seemed to face him head on.

"You've done completely horrible things to people I care about. And then you go and you help keep my mom safe." He tried not to get irritated that she was still holding someone else's life above her own, even if it was her mother. "But that doesn't just erase every bad thing. How can it? It shouldn't. And it doesn't. But it's not like you're  _trying_ to make up for all that crap because we so both know you'd do it all again if you were given the chance, wouldn't you?"

Klaus simply shrugged. There was no denying that. There were very few circumstances in his life that he would change and nothing that had transpired recently in Mystic Falls was one of them.

"Exactly," Caroline continued with a sigh. "But it doesn't stop what's going on in my head. It doesn't just make these really annoying feelings that keep drawing me to you from just going away. I really wish I could call it like Stockholm syndrome but technically it was Kol who kidnapped me, not you. And I can't even say its compulsion. It's all 100% me and my messed up head and heart feeling and wanting things."

He couldn't help but smile at that part. There was no denying that she was attracted to him, not after recent events. "I could have stayed back at the house, I probably  _should_ have stayed there, but I wanted to be with you," she finished with a stomp of her foot.

"To distract me from killing who you deem to be innocents," Klaus pointed out, needing to remind her of falling back into old habits with him.

" _Actually_ , I didn't want to be around the others with their concerned, judging or like watchful gazes and I asked Vincent where you had gone and he said he saw you storm out of the house—which let me tell you, all of that head bowing from him is really kind of annoying—and so I went after you. I kind of put two and two together on my way down," Caroline admitted, frowning slightly.

Klaus felt some of his anger dissipate at her words. "I love Tyler. I loved Matt. I didn't love Damon. I thought Matt and I were going to be forever in that way teenagers do. And Tyler…" Her frown deepened and he tensed, not liking the fact that she was still talking about his hybrid. "We haven't actually been together all that long. Like seriously, just a few weeks before you came to town and turned him into a hybrid. And even then it was just hooking up at first."

"Caroline," Klaus started, not wanting to hear any more about the damn traitor. Ripping the boy's heart out and eating it would probably not go over well with Caroline but Klaus was finding it hard not to fantasize about doing so.

"Like vampire emotions intensify everything, right?" she continued, no longer looking at him. "So how do I even really know what love feels like when it's turned up to the degree that it is?" And then she looked back at him, unshed tears in her eyes and the confusion clearly written in the creasing of her forehead. "Do I go by what I feel for my mom?"

Sometimes Klaus forgot how young she was, how new she was at being a vampire. She had excellent control but she'd only been turned for a little over a year. There was so much she didn't understand, that she'd yet to experience, that she hadn't had to endure and learn from. It had been a long time since he'd had the same questions, the same doubts, that he had forgotten that they had even been there at one time, that they were something that every vampire had to come to terms with.

"Considering she is one you know you loved before you ever turned, yes. I would go with how strongly you feel for her as your basis," Klaus replied, watching her expression completely falter, shoulders slumping as a sob wracked through her body.

"Then I don't love him." It was barely audible but the enormity of the statement had Klaus' mood shifting back toward triumphant, but he couldn't let that show, no matter how much her words gave him hope. Not when Caroline was breaking in front of him. "I'm a horrible person."

Klaus could tell she needed comfort but was unsure she'd accept it from him in that moment considering the revelation she had just made. He didn't doubt that she cared for Tyler and that the boy cared for her in return, but no, it wasn't quite the undying love that Caroline had apparently fitted it to be in her head. She was still very much a teenager in that regard, something that time would strip away, that it already was peeling off of her, revealing the woman she would become through the years. Caroline had endured much in her life so far and bounced back from all of the tragedy and strife thrown her way, but she was still shedding her human mindset and he needed to remember that every so often.

"Hardly, sweetheart," Klaus murmured, drawing his hands up her arm in what he hoped was a soothing way. He braced himself to be pushed away, for her to lash out as he would if the situation was reversed. She didn't though, didn't step closer to him either, but allowed the touch and that had to mean something, didn't it?

"I don't love you either," she hiccupped, and Klaus smiled at that.

_Not yet._

"I'm aware, Caroline," he replied, one hand moving to her cheek to brush away some stray tears. This was a monumental step, her realizing that she didn't love his hybrid, and while she didn't love Klaus either, he didn't doubt for a moment that she would come to do so. Not when she was already seeking out his company, welcoming his touch. He'd been right in his assessment of her. Caroline Forbes was meant for so much more than small town living.

She pulled away then, wiping at her face, and he tensed again, wondering what her reaction would be now. Would she close herself off to him again? Were they headed three steps back when they'd come so far in the last few days? "Can we just sit here for a little bit and talk?" she asked, not quite looking at him in that moment before turning back to the river.

He could tell she wasn't quite ready to face the rest of the world just yet with all she had realized and he wasn't about to pass up the fact that she still wanted him in her presence. Klaus wondered if she even realized how much power she held with him. He might be the stronger of the two of them, able to break her in two with the snap of his fingers, but she rendered him useless with her words.

"What do you want to talk about?" he asked as he sat down on the ground, patting the spot of grass next to him.

Caroline sat, smiling impishly at him even if the mirth in it didn't quite meet her eyes. "I want to talk about you. Your hopes. Your dreams," she murmured, tossing his own words back at him, and Klaus couldn't help but reciprocate her smile. "Everything you want in life."

"We'll bypass the ones that have to do with Silas meeting a deadly end," Klaus started, and she nodded her approval at that. "I'll be traveling the world once over again with a beautiful, enigmatic blonde at my side—"

"I'm sure Rebekah will be pleased to know you think so highly of her," Caroline piped in, and Klaus arched a brow at her before she waved her hand for him to continue.

"Considering I plan on ravishing this particular blonde in every city, in every monument that brings light to her eyes, you'll forgive me for not thinking of my sister in this moment, Caroline," he replied, smirking at the way she bit her lip at his words, hair falling in front of her face for a moment.

"So no world domination plans then? Creating your own army again? Because you were kind of really big on that," she murmured and Klaus grimaced, reminded of that night in the woods, his hybrids' bodies strewn all around. "I mean, we could always get the cure even if we destroy Silas so…you could have your hybrids all over again."

"Considering how easily they broke the Sire bond I no longer see the appeal of it." There was always compulsion that he could use but it defeated the purpose of their loyalty. He could do that already with vampires and humans. Once Silas was destroyed the Hunters would be as well, that threat destroyed with him. Regular hunters were nothing more than a nuisance and he'd no doubt need to go back to strengthening his own network of witches and vampires, keeping Caroline safe from the enemies he did have was a definite priority, but an army of hybrids wasn't one.

"I can't deny that I would continue to seek power, to ensure that those who would try to hurt you or my family would be swiftly dealt with, but I hardly need hybrids to accomplish such tasks, Caroline," Klaus pointed out, watching her frown at that, no doubt not liking the fact he included her in the list of people he would protect. "Your mother has been added to that list under my protection as well."

Her frown twisted at that, almost becoming a smile but not quite allowing it to form. "Okay, your dreams and stuff are becoming way too deep at the moment, so I'm changing my question," Caroline murmured, once again side stepping around the depth of his feelings for her. "Tell me about the place where my mom is."

Klaus had been ready to point out her constant need to avoid dealing with how much he cared for her but she had asked for details about her mother and that was something he couldn't deny Caroline. Especially with the pleading look she was directing at him. "Very well."

He watched the tension begin to seep out of her at his words, knew he'd made the right decision. Klaus paused though, hearing the sound of another car pulling into Vincent's place, followed by Kol's voice. Damn his hybrid hearing. "However I believe that Bonnie and Kol have arrived."

Caroline glanced back in the direction of the house; head tilting as she no doubt listened in for the sound of her friend's voice as well. She looked back at him and Klaus expected for her to rise and the moment between them to be over, for her defenses to all be back up in an instant. "We've got time, don't we?"

Klaus grinned at that, pleased she didn't want to rush away, even if it probably wasn't for the same reasons that he wished to stay in the clearing. "It's a small town outside of Tuscany," Klaus began, watching Caroline lay back against the grass, eyes closing as she listened to him talk about where her mother was currently living.

One day, he would take her there; allow her to reunite with her mother before he whisked Caroline off on the first leg of their worldwide journey, one that they would repeat countless times, each an entirely different experience before settling in various cities as they pleased. It was only a matter of time now and that was one thing both of them had plenty of.

* * *

The plane ride and subsequent other plane, train ride, and then compelled car ride through the Romanian countryside had been enough to set Bonnie completely on edge. She knew she wasn't the only one feeling that way among their motley little group. Thankfully she'd managed to convince most of the Coven to stick behind in the nearest city, already sensing that having everyone together would probably be more trouble than it was worth. They would have to go to the city to get anywhere else in the world and it would allow the Coven to get some needed rest.

If only she could have gotten that as well.

But no, she needed to see Caroline, needed to be in the thick of it all to know precisely what was being planned by the others, to make sure they weren't doing anything foolhardy—like having their Hunters kill vampires. Someone was. She knew that much by the fact that Eddie's mark kept growing every so often, but Caroline knew that hers needed not to do so. Maybe Stefan's group had one as well. She didn't want to think of the consequences that could arise if someone not on 'Team Keep Silas Down' had one, which was possible considering there could be up to five of them activated at a time.

"Has she learned the spell then?" Rebekah asked as she entered the room that Vincent had taken them into.

Bonnie barely glanced over at the other girl, her focus on the door, waiting for her friend to arrive. "It's a work in progress," Lucy replied from her side, and Bonnie tried not to twitch at that.

It was just the ending—the most vital part—that she was having a bit of difficulty with.

"Why can't we simply have more experienced witches do this? I fail to see the importance of her," Rebekah continued and Bonnie wondered how in the world Caroline hadn't clawed the Original's eyes out if this was what she'd been enduring over the last few weeks.

"You'd need more than one in a Coven of those of us related to the witch who created the spell. Something someone has been happily making sure doesn't exist any longer," Lucy pointed out as Stefan entered the room. Bonnie continued to ignore the rest of them and headed over to him, happy to see a familiar face, even if it wasn't quite the one she wanted. "She's the only direct descendant. It needs to be Bonnie."

Whatever else was said between the two Bonnie tuned out. "How are you managing?" Stefan asked, looking as weary about everything as Bonnie felt.

Being in a home that was friendly to the Originals just didn't seem to sit well with either of them, even if they were all supposed to be on the same side. "Better than I was at first," she murmured, before nodding toward an unoccupied pair of chairs in the room.

A quick glance around the room showed Eddie sitting by himself, finally eating something, while Lucy and Rebekah continued to bicker their way through a conversation. "Have you heard from any of the others?" she continued as the two sat down, her gaze still lingering on the doorway.

"Damon's avoiding my calls." Stefan shrugged at that, though Bonnie had a feeling it was annoying him. Their relationship was something she didn't think anyone would ever understand. "Haven't heard from Elena either."

Oh. He didn't know. How did he not know?

"I don't think he's with her. Maybe looking for her, but considering what she's apparently doing…" Bonnie still couldn't wrap her head around it. Had Damon's sire bond screwed her friend up that badly? It had to be something more and she had a feeling it had to do with Silas. Everything else seemed to be tied to the immortal. Though would it really surprise her if Damon was actually helping Elena kill and turn witches? He'd done it to her mother.

She wasn't too sure he'd do that to Elena though, have her experience that much more added trauma along with everything else. It just didn't add up, but a lot of things weren't adding up recently. "Bonnie, what do you mean?" Stefan asked his worry evident in his voice and body language.

She also noted Rebekah's tensing, the way the other girl was now focused on their conversation, ignoring whatever Lucy was saying. "Elena's the one who's been out killing witches, Stefan. Killing and turning them. Cutting off their magic from the world."

Stefan shook his head. It was a lot to take in and she knew firsthand how hard it was to believe. "I think Silas has gotten into her head." Just as he'd tried to get into her own, like how Kol had said he'd done to others during the ages. She wouldn't be surprised at all if he was in Valerie's. It'd explain so much about that crazy woman.

"Damon will be trying to find her then. To stop her," Stefan murmured, already rising from his chair and taking his phone out. It didn't take a giant leap to know who he was going to try and contact as he left the room.

"And once again it all comes back to Elena Gilbert," Rebekah muttered, lips pressing together in obvious distaste. "Will we be changing our plan of attack now? Heading back to the States to try and find the little doppelganger, to save her from herself or whatever nonsense you all come up with? Sorry, world. We were trying to prevent your destruction but it appears that precious Elena has broken a nail."

"That's enough, Rebekah," Elijah ordered as he walked into the room, Kol on his heel.

Bonnie sunk back against the chair, partially because she didn't have to deal with Rebekah's tirade any longer but also to try and keep out of sight of the younger Original. It didn't work. Once again he made a beeline right to her, dropping down onto the seat Stefan had vacated. "Did I come in at the tail end of one of Bekah's anti-Elena rants?" he mock pouted as he cocked his head toward Bonnie. "She gets worked up over the slightest thing about her. It's quite fun to instigate every so often."

There were about five other places to sit in the room. Why did he need to come and sit with her? She'd barely gotten five minutes of peace from him in the last twenty-four hours. Was this penance for all she'd done? For not listening to the Spirits and falling down the path of Expression for that limited amount of time? Hadn't she suffered enough?

Bonnie glanced back at the doorway, wondering where the hell Caroline was, desperate for her friend's company. "Oh oh oh, Vincent!" Kol exclaimed as the vampire entered the room with some more refreshments. Bonnie didn't think she liked the color of the wine, had a feeling it was laced with blood. "Where  _are_  my brother and the pretty little cheerleader?"

"Cheerleader?" Vincent asked as he passed around the glasses. Bonnie tried not to scrunch her nose in disgust as she was handed one.

"Goes by Caroline. Nik follows her around like a lost puppy," Kol replied as he took his flute.

"I believe she and Lord Niklaus headed into the woods shortly after Elijah and Rebekah's arrival," Vincent informed them, and Bonnie's stomach dropped at the news. Kol's smug grin and Rebekah's snort of disgust didn't help assure her at all.

What mess had her friend gotten involved in? "Oh, don't worry, darling. I doubt he's harming her," Kol whispered, entirely too close to her for comfort now. "Unless she's into that of course. Some vampires are quite fond of biting."

She didn't need to know that. Why the hell would he think she needed to know that? "Is there a room I can use?" Bonnie asked, rising from her chair and placing the untouched glass down on the table. Anything to get away from Kol, to get a breather from everyone. "I'd like to keep working on the spell."

Vincent nodded, waving toward the door and she followed him out of it, glancing over at Lucy and then Eddie. Her cousin nodded but Eddie looked up at her, eyes widening, and Bonnie knew she didn't want to leave him with the vultures. They might have needed him around for the map, but there was supposedly another Hunter in the house, and considering Jeremy had been killed she didn't want to chance leaving him alone with any of them, even if killing Eddie would result in them getting the Hunter's curse. A quick nod and he was out of the chair and at her side as she left the room.

"I take it that you are one of Caroline's friends then?" Vincent asked as he led them down the hallway.

"Practically since birth." Or at least toddlerhood.

"Lord Niklaus hasn't harmed her. If anything he's been protecting her since they arrived. I gather before then too," Vincent informed her as they stopped in front of another door. "Even when the witches forced him to transform into his wolf and chase us through the woods. He nearly tore me apart but didn't touch a hair on her body; I believe her presence is what helped him break the witches' hold on him."

That new knowledge didn't really help any. It just made everything even more twisted and had her worry for Caroline increasing exponentially. "Let me know if you require anything else," Vincent continued as he opened the door to reveal a bedroom before walking away.

"Didn't you say that werewolves see vampires as their enemies and rip them apart with abandon in their wolf form?" Eddie murmured, scratching the back of his neck and looking as confused as she felt.

"That's what's supposed to happen." It's what every other wolf did, what all of the lore they'd ever found said, what Tyler and the few other werewolves had told them.

"Wow. He must really love your friend to be able to bypass that much instinct," Eddie replied, walking into the room.

Bonnie stared at him with a mix of shock and horror. If it had been anyone but Klaus maybe that would have been a good thing for someone to love Caroline that much. But this was  _Klaus,_ who'd murdered how many of their friends and loved ones? This was Klaus who daggered the family he supposedly loved and wanted to live together. Being loved by him couldn't possibly be a good thing and only strengthened her resolve that she  _needed_ to see Caroline.

"Bonnie?"

That was Caroline's voice and she turned toward it, hated seeing Klaus by her friend as the two walked down the hallway, but loving the big smile that she so often associated with Caroline Forbes. She didn't know which of them started moving toward one another first, but they were hugging before she could think anything else, holding onto Caroline as hard as she could, secure in the knowledge that it wouldn't hurt her friend. Bonnie had known she'd missed Caroline but the reality of just how much distance had been between the two of them for the last few weeks seemed to catch up in those few seconds. She had plenty of questions for Caroline and so much to tell her as well but all of it could wait a few moments. Bonnie knew that once the gates were opened to everything that had happened—and it was obvious from how closely Caroline had been standing next to Klaus that  _something_ had happened, she just hoped it wasn't anything close to what Kol had continuously insinuated—there was no going back to how they had once been. All they could do was pick up all of the pieces around them and carry on.

"Come on," Caroline murmured as she pulled away, still smiling but Bonnie couldn't help but notice the unshed tears in her friend's eyes and feel them in her own. "We'll talk in your room."

She also couldn't help but notice the glance Caroline directed back to Klaus before ushering her into the room and closing the door.

This wasn't good.

Not good at all.

* * *

Seeing the reunion between Caroline and Bonnie had been hard to stomach. Klaus knew the other girl's disdain for him, something he held in equal regard for her, and while the conversation in the woods had gone much better than he'd anticipated, it was only a matter of time before the witch tried to sway Caroline away from the path she was finally setting foot down. Perhaps it wouldn't matter in the long run if Caroline did head back onto the safe path she'd always known for a few more years because eventually she would need to embark on the one that led to her true nature, but Klaus didn't want to wait.

Oh he could. He was quite good at waiting out situations when needed so that all the chips would fall exactly where he needed them, but he hardly liked playing his cards that way. Especially when he could see how close Caroline was to leaving behind that small town life. A few more weeks alone with her and he was convinced he could have gotten her to realize so many things and now with his siblings, Stefan and the little witch around he was certain all of the work he'd done to opening up Caroline's eyes to the actual world around her, to all of the possibilities that lay at her feet, were going to be crammed behind a door and put off until she was forced to deal with reality.

Caroline had said that wasn't going to happen, that she wasn't stifling her emotions, but he wasn't about to believe that until he saw it. His inability to trust others was rearing its ugly head again, that paranoia taking root. Klaus saw no reason to try and shake it off. Though the lingering hope that she would prove his doubts wrong also didn't seem to be leaving either.

But Silas needed to be dealt with sooner rather than later and that meant he needed to deal with his troublesome siblings  _now_. "So what's this I hear about your wolf not trying to eat that tasty little treat?" Kol remarked as soon as he entered the room they were all in.

Thankfully Lucy chose that moment to leave while Klaus made a mental note to remove Vincent's tongue. Seemed the other vampire had been gossiping. "I suggest you cease calling her that before I—" Klaus started, eyes narrowed as he looked at his youngest brother.

"Yes yes, remove my liver," Kol chirped, eyes twinkling with mischief. "You really do need to come up with new threats, Nik. Or will you be daggering me this time? Too bad those are all the way back in Mystic Falls."

Klaus knew Kol was simply riling him up, but he didn't appreciate it, especially not in front of Elijah who was no doubt cataloguing every snippet of the conversation. The last thing he needed was the elder Mikaelson to meddle in his affairs, particularly those regarding Caroline.

"Shut up, Kol," Rebekah snapped, and Klaus was almost grateful for the words, however he couldn't help but be suspicious of his sister's motives. He couldn't see her trying to quiet Kol out of the goodness of her heart. Not with how fickle it could be. "You'll be happy to know that Elijah was gallivanting around with the other doppelganger. The one you were hunting for all those years. The two looked  _quite_ cozy together."

Katherine.  _Wonderful._  "Will she be joining us as well?" Klaus asked, wishing he'd thought to bring the daggers along. It seemed he needed them.

"Turned tail and ran once she knew we were coming to meet you," Rebekah continued, smiling maliciously.

Elijah's demeanor didn't change but Klaus noted the clenched fists at his side, the tightening of his jaw for a moment before it relaxed. "Perhaps we should turn our attention to what we're going to be doing now?" Elijah suggested as he sat down on one of the chairs. "We seem to have all the pieces that the witches say are required. Such as the two Hunters."

"Yes, where is the other one? I want him secured away as well." Far away from Caroline and any pointy wooden objects. He hadn't protected her this long for her to die at the hands of some newbie Hunter.

"He went off with Bonnie right before you got here," Kol replied, and Klaus stiffened at that. "Shall I go and retrieve him? I do so enjoy riling up the Bennett witch."

"I'll go and make sure he doesn't do anything," Stefan murmured from his spot near Rebekah, looking entirely too grateful for a reason to be leaving the room.

That would do for now. Klaus knew Stefan would do what he could to protect Caroline and he'd simply keep listening for any sort of scuffle coming from the room her and Bonnie had gone into. He'd be there before the Hunter could even take a step toward her if needed.

"If we have everything that's needed can't we simply turn some people and have them killed until we find wherever the map leads?" Rebekah suggested, watching Stefan leave the room with narrowed eyes. Seemed that her jealousy over the younger Salvatore interacting with his friends hadn't dissipated at all. Not that he was surprised by that revelation.

"We are certain that we want this Silas to be destroyed? How do we know this isn't something the witches have concocted over the years to destroy us in the end?" Elijah questioned as Klaus finally sat down.

"Mother used to tell us bedtime stories about him," Rebekah reminded.

Klaus hadn't remembered such things but his mind tended to focus on the bad that had gone along with his childhood, on Mikael's fists and words lashing into him. It was a time he'd worked hard to erase, only allowing pieces of it to remain in his mind, the rest blotted out as best he could. It was easier to reconcile Esther as the monster she had died as than with the woman who had once sung him to sleep.

"Silas was created long before us," Kol pointed out.

"But the Five were not. They were created not too long after our own creation, and while they were supposedly formed to destroy him, they were also taught ways to incapacitate us," Elijah replied, effectively silencing the other two.

"Apparently their purpose dies if Silas does. The fact they were able to kill us was an added bonus because we were created using the same spell as Silas. After all mother took it from Ayanna who was bestowed it by her ancestors, one of which was Qestiyah," Klaus informed them. "And we know how fond witches are of being able to keep the balance. Wouldn't want to create something that can't be killed." Where would be the fun in that?

"And how did you come by this knowledge?" Elijah asked, looking doubtful while Kol looked annoyed that Klaus knew something he didn't about Silas.

"An old friend informed me of a few things." Not quite the truth but Klaus didn't feel like going into details. There was no reason for Elijah to be questioning him. "Considering what would happen to his daughter if he lied, I doubt the man did so." Not to mention it correlated with what Vaughn had said as well, and tied in nicely with how witches worked. They never wanted anyone to become too powerful, unless it was themselves.

"So we destroy Silas and the Hunters line dies with it?" Rebekah mused. "When do we start creating vampires for them to kill? I'd like to get this business over with sooner rather than later."

"Oh yes, we wouldn't want to stand in the way of your pathetic schemes to try and get Stefan back into your bed," Klaus replied, enjoying the way that statement riled her up. It was so easy with her at times.

"I'm sure I'm doing far better than you in regards to Caroline," Rebekah bit out, locking a steely gaze with him.

It was on the tip of his tongue to counter that, but he wouldn't demean Caroline in such a way nor did he want to give Elijah more of a reason to try and meddle. Instead he simply grimaced, playing the needed part. "Can't go turning anyone until we're sure Bonnie has the spell down anyway," Kol reminded, shaking his head. "I think she just needs the proper motivation."

"I trust that you can start doling that out then," Klaus suggested, amused by Kol's eagerness at the idea. His brother always did become entirely too infatuated with witches, especially the powerful ones. Though it would be quite hypocritical for Bonnie to go around badmouthing him to Caroline if she was letting Kol ruffle her feathers. "As for turning others, Kol is correct. We're not quite at that stage yet, sister, and I'd rather not have two Hunters hanging around that are itching to kill vampires just yet."

"Then  _what_  do you suggest we do?" Rebekah muttered, clearly not liking his answer.

"We use the texts Vincent has here to look into the entire Silas affair a little more. Make sure we're not missing out on anything," Klaus replied. "Perhaps you can share whatever it is that you and Stefan found out when you were sneaking away to libraries?"

She grimaced at that but nodded.

"I am still failing to see why all of us have been gathered by the Spirits to help out with this. I do not see why they are  _allowing_ our presence in all of this," Elijah replied, and Klaus turned to look at him.

"Considering the immortal has been in my head and others' heads here as well, manipulated witches to drink vampire blood so they would turn upon death, had them forcing me to transition into my wolf form to try and force my hand into helping him, I think they see us in league with them to stop Silas as more beneficial than needing to stop us as well as the immortal," Klaus informed him. "We have all been attacked by madmen claiming to follow him. If you'd been with your family instead of running around with Katherine maybe you'd understand."

"What I was doing with Katerina is none of your business, Niklaus," Elijah replied, and Klaus couldn't help but be amused by the conflicting looks his brother was giving. The need to be angry over the woman far below him coupled with the need to be 'the good brother', always so at war with one another, never quite sure which one would win out.

"Always and forever never did quite ring true with you, did it?" Klaus mused, ignoring Rebekah's huff at that and Kol's downward look. "How many times must that harlot get in the way of our family before you're done with her? I'm beginning to doubt that you ever truly did help look for her."

"My allegiance has always been to this family," Elijah countered, and Klaus wondered if vampires could burst blood vessels in anger. Perhaps they would find out.

"Except for when it's not," Klaus replied, leaning back against the chair. "After all, you were going to kill me when I was breaking my curse."

"I thought you had destroyed our family," Elijah's voice rose at that, not quite yelling, but as close to it as he ever got.

"I had them tucked away, kept safe from Mikael's hands. Kol here who couldn't do subtle if his life depended on it, and oh how it did, with the oncoming technology. With the photograph and Mikael nearly catching up to us because of his antics ending up in the paper. Or our dear sister who wanted to walk off into the sunset with Stefan, not caring that Mikael was right on our heels again. Another epic love story in the making not even a year after her last failed attempt," Klaus remarked, shaking his head at the lot of them. "And where were you when that happened? Not with us. Not helping me lug around Finn, Kol and mother, not running from your father. Always and forever are nothing more than meaningless words."

"That's not fair," Rebekah started, rising from her chair. "I meant them. I stayed at your side always."

"Tsk tsk, Rebekah. It's not good to tell lies when we both know it's the last place you wanted to be, always trying to find a way out," Klaus murmured, not even bothering to look at her. He wasn't surprised to find Kol heading toward the door. "And I see the youngest of us is running again. Unable to deal with being a member of this family."

"It's about not being able to deal with Mikael Jr," Kol replied, causing Klaus to freeze at the comparison. "For the one who wasn't his, you take after him the most. Even more than Bekah with her temper."

"Get out," Klaus demanded, eyes becoming yellow, fangs descending.

"Gladly," Kol muttered, already heading out of the room and out of the house.

Klaus couldn't look at the other two, couldn't handle hearing Caroline's laughter only a few doors down, and stalked off down the hallway. He needed something to do for the moment, some task to set his mind to in order to push all Kol had said from his mind. He stopped upon hearing the voices in the kitchen, picking up on the tail end of the conversation.

"—quiet, you know better than to say anything with monster ears at the ready," a male muttered, and perhaps he wouldn't have noticed at any other point if he hadn't been looking for something else to focus on. But Klaus was in the kitchen, easily catching the human cook and knocking the woman also inside to the ground. Her head hit the table, the resounding crack letting him know she wouldn't be getting back up.

Oh well. Vincent should be able to get new help easily enough. Compulsion was an easy enough trick to use and he willed the man to spill all of his secrets, wanting something to play around with, needing something to focus on for a few moments. Perhaps there was another transgression to add against Vincent's tally.

It didn't surprise him that the villagers below weren't on vervain. They seemed to stick to some of the older myths in the region—garlic, crosses, nothing that would truly deter him or any real vampire.

"They're planning an uprising. The man from the dreams says we must stop you all. That we must kill the girl," the man informed him in Romanian, the words almost jumbled from fear, and Klaus pursed his lips at that. "They mean to burn her while you sleep."

Caroline.

It looked as though Silas was far from done with his attempts on her life, on trying to force Klaus' hand to join his team instead of staking a hold in the one against him. His fangs were in the man's neck before he could speak, tearing into the flesh, draining him before he had a chance to really scream.

Caroline's laughter echoed through the air again and Klaus closed his eyes at the sound of it, wanting nothing more than to bury his torment in her soft curls. He heard other voices though, coming from the village, reminding him of their traitorous intents, and headed off that way, knowing she wouldn't be stopping him from slaughtering the lot of them this time.

Funny how that knowledge only seemed to bring him more pain as he headed toward the village, ready to paint the tiny town red.

* * *

Caroline squeezed Bonnie's hands one more time, unable to stop holding onto her friend, needing to keep looking at her as well. She was half convinced that if she looked away if she stopped holding on that Bonnie might disappear, that it would all just be some really weird dream. Realistically she knew that wouldn't happen but it didn't stop her from needing the contact and considering Bonnie hadn't pulled away either Caroline had a feeling that Bonnie wanted it as well.

They'd talked about a dozen different things, informing one another what they had learned and some of the details about what had happened in the weeks they'd been parted. Caroline didn't go into everything, couldn't quite figure out how to bring up the growing feelings she'd been harboring for Klaus or how her relationship with the Hybrid had definitely shifted. She could also sense that Bonnie was holding back a few things as well and usually she'd have pushed to find out what those pieces were, but not this time. No doubt they'd come out eventually.

It was nice to laugh again with a friend, with someone who had known her since she was a little girl, even if part of her was coming to realize that there were aspects of who she'd become that Bonnie didn't understand and might not ever really be able to grasp. That was part of growing up though, wasn't it? People grew up and sometimes they grew apart, sometimes the differences allowed them to grow closer together though, sometimes all it took was some hard work. But Caroline looked at her mother's life and could count on one hand how many people from Liz' childhood that she'd seen her mother still be close to. Liz had been from Mystic Falls, lived there her whole life, and still had managed to drift apart from childhood friends who'd stayed in town too.

Caroline frowned at the thought, listening to Bonnie speak, and coming to the realization that there would be a time when she was still in the world and Bonnie wasn't. Just like with her mom. The knowledge had her wanting to cling harder to Bonnie and at the same time wanting to let her go before the heartache became too much. It was a war that she didn't quite know how to maneuver through let alone win.

"So are we going to talk about the giant elephant in the room now?" Bonnie asked, breaking Caroline from her own inner turmoil.

"Huh?" There was an elephant in the room? This was definitely news to her.

"You were looking awful cozy with Klaus a few minutes ago," Bonnie replied, and Caroline sighed at that. So much for that topic of conversation not coming up.

She let go of Bonnie's hands and fell back against the headboard, staring up at the ceiling as her friend continued. "Klaus who killed how many people that we know? Who's terrorized us, tortured some of us, and would happily use Elena as a blood bag still if he could. And considering we're going to be near a supposed cure for vampirism might do so again."

"I know." And god did she know all of that. She constantly reminded herself of every horrible thing Klaus had ever done. He just kept on adding things to his damn good pile as well, chipping away at her black and white world and filling it with too many shades of gray. "I know he's done awful, horrible, despicable things."

Caroline glanced over at Bonnie, watching her friend nod along to that, hating that she was about to dash that hope she could see in Bonnie that she apparently hadn't lost her mind when it came to Klaus. "He also helped me protect my mom. He protected me I don't even know how many damn times these last few weeks. His wolf…"

His wolf hadn't attacked her. That had to mean something, didn't it? "I'm not saying it excuses everything else. It so doesn't. It doesn't bring Jenna back or Matt or Jeremy. It doesn't help Elena out…but I don't know how to just shut off…" The growing feelings, the desire, the need. They only kept on building up, continuing to stir inside of her and she didn't even think distance would make them go away.

"Maybe it's a weird case of Stockholm Syndrome. A week or two away from him once this whole Silas business is over and you'll realize that none of it is real," Bonnie muttered, staring down at the bedspread.

"He wasn't the one who kidnapped me," Caroline pointed out. Though Klaus had made sure she'd stuck by his side once he'd caught up with her and Kol, but her interest in Klaus had started before that moment. It had been slowly building with his unending persistence. It'd simply been easier to push down and force away back then when she hadn't been given the chance to know him, to see the world outside of Mystic Falls and realize just how sheltered all of them had really been.

"What about Tyler?"

"I don't know, Bonnie. I seriously do not know anything at this point except that I'm not  _in love_  with him. I'm not in love with Klaus either, there's just…feelings or whatever there, and  _no_  I don't want them to be there, but they  _are_  and I tried to make them go away—believe me I did—but they won't. They just keep on building and it's really annoying and wrong but it's not wrong because how can it be wrong to like someone. Except he's done  _horrible_ things. But so has Stefan. So has Damon. So have I. Not to the degree that he has, well, Damon maybe, and I guess Stefan too when he's all Rippery, but I just don't know okay?" Caroline let out a frustrated sigh, running her hands through her hair and unable to look at her friend anymore.

"It's  _Klaus,_ Caroline. You can't have feelings for him," Bonnie muttered and Caroline closed her eyes at that. God, if only it were that easy. Did she even want it to be that easy anymore though? "Plus it's Klaus. He's a monster incapable of love."

Her attention snapped back to Bonnie at that. "That's not true. Otherwise I wouldn't be here right now. The witches forced him to turn into a werewolf and his sole purpose was to kill me and Vincent. He tore Vincent apart. I fell into a pool of vervain water and barely managed to get myself out of it. I was such an easy target. He could have killed me in a second with how vulnerable I was. But he didn't. He broke through the spell, through their manipulation and got me out of there, helped heal me."

"Caroline," Bonnie started, but she shook her head and rose from the bed.

"I don't love him, but a monster incapable of love wouldn't have been able to do all of that. I know that much," Caroline murmured, wanting the conversation to end. She didn't want to fight with Bonnie, didn't want it all to end in an argument. "We're not going to agree on this and that's okay, we so don't have to agree on everything. Like how you think that purple sweater you own is way cute when it really doesn't fit you well at all, but you go around wearing it anyway and I just roll my eyes when you do."

"This is a little more important than a sweater, Care," Bonnie sighed, but nodded. "I just don't want you to get so far into this that you can't find your way back out." Too late. "We both know Klaus isn't about to just let things go. But fine, conversation tabled for now. We'll be finishing it at some point though. Preferably when we're far away from here and back home. Safe."

Caroline forced a smile at that. She didn't really think Mystic Falls was all that safe considering everything else that had happened there but she wasn't about to start another argument. "So you saw your mom?" She pursed her lips at the awful segue.

Bonnie simply shrugged, but Caroline could see the hurt in her friend's demeanor, in the way Bonnie looked away, lower lip trembling for a moment. Caroline wanted nothing more than to break that woman's neck for running out on Bonnie all over again. She'd had a chance to be a mom again, to at least be in Bonnie's life, yes as a vampire, but it was  _something_. Apparently that something just hadn't been enough of a reason to stick around.

They were saved from continuing the awkward conversation by Rebekah practically bursting into the room and grabbing Caroline's arm. "You need to come with me."

"Excuse you." Caroline tried to pull her arm away, but the Original's strength far surpassed hers. Thankfully Bonnie was able to cause Rebekah enough pain with a spell to allow Caroline to pull free. "What the hell, Rebekah?"

Okay, maybe the two didn't get along but she definitely hadn't expected the girl to come into a room and try to drag her out of it. "Klaus is off slaughtering his way through the village and while usually I'd care less about such a thing, we do need them alive for the Hunters to kill when we turn them," Rebekah muttered, glaring at Bonnie who kept up the spell until Caroline was standing beside her. "Elijah has gone off to deal with him and try to find Kol as well, but all Elijah is ever good for is riling my brother up. You'd think it'd be the opposite but I'm sure we all know how little Nik enjoys being told what to do."

"I'm failing to see why you need me to come with you," Caroline replied, rubbing her arm.

"Considering he was heading down to the village after speaking with Elijah when we first arrived and somehow ended up in the woods with you instead," Rebekah started, and Caroline tried not to react to that, tried to ignore Bonnie's stiffening beside her. "I'm sure you can figure out why I'd like you to come with me. We really do need those villagers alive for now."

Ugh. For now. Those poor villagers had been through enough already. They didn't deserve to be turned to complete some stupid map. They definitely didn't deserve to be ripped apart by an overemotional hybrid. "Why's he in a killing mood anyway? He was perfectly fine when I left him."

"The usual argument between him and Kol. I'll explain on the way," Rebekah replied, motioning toward the door.

With a sigh Caroline stepped forward, stopping when Bonnie touched her arm. "You do not have to go with her and clean up their mess."

"It'll be fine," Caroline tried to reassure, but knew that was useless. Because it wasn't about cleaning up a mess, she knew Bonnie didn't want those villagers to die either. It was about the fact that she was being pulled deeper into the insanity that was Klaus Mikaelson and eventually she'd cross a point where she wouldn't be able to be pulled back from his orbit.

It was probably a good idea not to tell Bonnie that she was pretty sure she'd crossed that line days ago. "It'll be fine," she murmured again before flashing out of the room, Rebekah on her heels, trying to ignore the worry mixed with disappointment that had encompassed her best friend in that moment.

* * *

There was something to be said about the turbulent atmosphere that a massacre created. Watching humans crumble to their very basic instincts, flight or fight response taking over and most of them trying to flee, pushing whoever might be before them down, trying so hard to create a barrier between him and them. It hardly mattered if it was their sibling, their parents, lovers, a friend, even their own child wasn't necessarily safe in the turmoil of trying to get free. There were always those few who tried to die protecting another, who fell upon their children, trying to block his way toward them, to shelter them just that instant more. If his life had been different maybe Klaus would have felt a wave of pity for them at that parental gesture but all it did was bring up thoughts of his own mother and how willing Esther had been to throw him to the wolves.

He was always slightly more vicious to those ones; tearing them away from the child and making them watch him snap their son or daughter's neck, effectively extinguishing all hope before he drained the parent dry. He did it to lovers as well, to friends trying to protect one another. Constantly denied that level of loyalty by those in his own life, Klaus couldn't stand seeing it bestowed on those he saw beneath him.

And for them to have plans to take Caroline away…none of them would walk away alive.

"Niklaus. I do believe you have made your point now," Elijah's voice cut through the high pitched screams of terror, through the crying and dragged down Klaus' euphoria.

He dropped the latest body to the ground, glancing around at the few remaining patrons in the village's pub. He'd already made his way through the village, stopping whoever he saw and compelling them to return home and kill their families before ending their own lives. He found it to be a rather poetic ending for the lot of them. It was those at the local pub that he decided to kill by his own hand, entering the establishment with a smile and easily compelling them not to leave.

"And what point might that be, brother?" Klaus asked, stepping over the latest dead and eying up the cowering few who were left. "You know nothing of what I've learned in the last few moments. Seemed this lot was looking to kill—us." No reason to tip Elijah to just how much he cared for Caroline.

He glanced over at the men and women again, Klaus's bloody grin widen as he took another step forward, enjoying the sobs. "Foolish to think it was even possible."

"Why didn't you say anything?" Elijah demanded, his demeanor toward the men and women changing once he knew Klaus' reasoning. For all Klaus had accused him of not even an hour before Elijah wouldn't sit back with the possibility of harm coming to his family.

"As you can see I have it under control," Klaus replied with a shrug.

"While I see your need to dole out a swift punishment, we do need these people for later," Elijah reminded, and Klaus waved him off.

"There's another village a few miles away. They'll do just as nicely as these ones for that inevitable slaughter. I'm not about to allow such transgressions to go unanswered." They never should have tried to cross him. They would have still died but they could have tried to make the deaths as painless as possible. Maybe. It didn't really matter to him in the end. Though it would probably to Caroline and a few of the others.

"Something tells me that the young Ms. Forbes—that is her name is it not?—would not approve of your current methods," Elijah started and Klaus spun around at that, tsking at his brother.

"Don't pretend to have knowledge of matters you know nothing about, Elijah." Not that Klaus thought Caroline would approve, no doubt she'd be livid with him for this, but a leopard couldn't change its spots and  _this_  was all part of who he was. She got no say in how he protected her, none of them did. What did it matter if they approved or not as long as they survived? The hate would come and go, but they would still be among the living. That was all that mattered. "Shouldn't you be off trying to coax Kol back into the fold? Reminding him of his allegiance to our family, of a bond and why we're all really here in the first place. Or did you hoist that effort off on Rebekah this time? He doesn't quite have the century or even a decade to roam considering what we all should be focusing on."

"And yet, here you are killing people we're supposed to be using for the next phase," Elijah pointed out causing Klaus to shrug.

"I've already pointed out a viable alternative to those I've slaughtered today and why these ones are dying now." What was the point in harping on the fact they were dead? It was over. No point in continuing the conversation. "So either help me finish off the lot of them or leave me in peace, Elijah."

Nothing was going to stop him from completing this task.

"What the hell are you doing?!"

Well then.

He really should have figured that someone would drag Caroline into the thick of it. "Get her out of here  _now,_ " Klaus ordered, turning around to face the clearly disgusted blonde, eyes narrowing as he spotted his sister beside her. Traitors, the lot of them. "Silas has gotten into their heads and they mean to kill us. I am merely beating them to the punch."

That stopped whatever tirade Caroline clearly had prepared to use against him. "So what you couldn't like kill them…nicely?" she asked and he arched a brow at that.

"I'm merely following my nature for this particular disposal," Klaus replied with a grin.

"Your nature is to like  _feed,_ not go around terrorizing the masses," Caroline countered, glancing over at the few remaining humans in the corner. "Like snapped necks. God. Wouldn't that have been like ten times easier? Instead of creating all of this fear and the blood and everything else?"

Klaus was in front of her before anyone could react, grabbing her forearm and tugging her toward the cowering people who tried to scoot closer together. "Tell me the smell of their fear isn't intoxicating, that it doesn't curl down into your toes, and make you want to tear into their throats, to drink your fill and revel in the blood, Caroline," he murmured, back pressing against hers as he looked over at one of the humans. "Up."

Such a simple command and one so easily followed as he beckoned for the young woman to step forward. "This is who I am, who I want to be," Klaus continued, pushing the woman's hair off her neck with one hand, the other securely locking Caroline against him. "It's who you are as well. Much as you may fight the instinct."

"I'm not eating her," Caroline growled, struggling to break free from him, but there would be no getting out of his grip, though he did allow her to turn so she was facing him, hands pressing against his chest to try and push him away.

"You're a baby vampire," Klaus reminded, smiling at her before dipping his head to bite into the woman, wanting to tempt Caroline with the smell of blood so close by.

"We are so not doing one of your stupid lessons right now," Caroline growled, elbowing him in the gut and he couldn't help but laugh at that, letting the woman go and pressing his face into Caroline's neck instead.

"They were going to kill you," he murmured into her ear, ignoring the fact that Rebekah and Elijah were still present for the moment. "You know how I react when people do that."

"Please do give us some warning before you start tearing clothes off one another," Rebekah muttered, and Klaus growled at that, feeling Caroline stiffen against him and so he released his hold on her.

"Burn the village," Klaus ordered. "We're not staying here a moment longer."

It obviously wasn't safe. Silas was well aware of where they were located—how Klaus wasn't sure, but it seemed he was more adapt than any of them realized, able to go into not only supernaturals' dreams but humans as well. Klaus didn't trust anyone in the surrounding areas not to be affected. They needed to move now that they had all of them together. Bonnie needed to learn the damn spell, the Hunters needed the map completed and he needed to end the immortal once and for all.

"What about Kol?" Elijah asked, and Klaus sighed at that.

"He'll find us," Klaus replied. He always did. No doubt seeing the village up in flames would alter the younger Mikaelson to come running.

"Rebekah, be a dear and go collect the others from the house. Tell Vincent not to forget the Hunter locked in the basement," Klaus continued, thankful that she did nothing more than mutter under her breath before heading off to do as he'd directed.

"I'll deal with this," Elijah informed them, already heading toward the bar and spilling alcohol to use as an accelerant.

Klaus took hold of Caroline's elbow and led her away from the mess and out into the fresh air. Screams could be heard all around them, those he'd compelled doing as he'd wanted, killing their families. Not a soul would survive tonight. "This is insane," Caroline murmured, glancing around as she bit her bottom lip, taking in all of the chaos.

"It's war," Klaus reminded, leading her away from the village and toward the house.

"I guess you would know. You've probably been through a billion of them," she replied, and he didn't like how vulnerable she seemed in that moment, how lost, how young she seemed.

"I've been through my fair share, yes." More than he'd ever be able to recount. Some large, some small. Strife was usually rampant no matter the decade. People coveted what others had, whether it other people or land. They did what they needed to in order to claim it. That hadn't changed through the centuries, only the type of warfare had. Different weapons, different methods of destruction. "There is more to life than this though. And I will show you that once we've rid the world of Silas."

Caroline simply shook her head at that, unable to cover up her smile quick enough. "So you say."

Klaus grinned, pleased that she wasn't exactly denying his intentions that time, not quite accepting them either, but it did seem to be a step forward. "We'll start in Italy after we've given your mother back her memories. You'll know Italian before the year is up."

"You're so sure of yourself," Caroline murmured, rolling her eyes as she shook her head.

He spotted Bonnie bounding down the road toward them though and decided not to answer, letting the two girls reunite instead. While he might not like the witch, he did appreciate the fact she cared for Caroline and would do what it took to protect her.

They'd take Vincent's cars and head out immediately. He wouldn't chance them staying another moment in that house, in the area, convinced another attack would happen if they did so. Perhaps it was just his paranoia seeping through, but better to be paranoid than for Caroline and his family to end up dead, for Mikael and Esther to get a chance to walk the earth again and for them to spend the rest of eternity running.

Klaus would do whatever was needed to stop that from happening, kill whoever was needed. Silas may have been created before him but he was not allowed to win.

* * *

She didn't know where she was any longer. Her body has been on autopilot for far too long, any sense of self stripped away from her until she didn't even know her own name. She had to have been someone, there had to have been people in her life that she loved but she could never quite grasp onto that. The word love equaled pain now. It was a harsh cut through the very heart of her whenever she tried to remember, to put back the jagged puzzle pieces of her being that never quite measured up how they used to.

"You've done so well," the woman in front of her explained, petting her hair. It was probably supposed to have been a soothing gesture, somehow a thank you for something she'd done—what had she done? Why couldn't she remember?

The other people in the room all ignored her, barely sparing a glance in her direction, though she could sense their fear, she could  _smell_  it. But that couldn't be right. How could she smell an emotion? The woman in front of her showed no signs of the same feeling though. All she could get from her was triumph, some sort of viciousness that had her wanting not to be touched by the woman at all.

"What did I do?" she asked, cringing at her voice, wondering why it sounded foreign to her ears. It was hers but it wasn't, too broken, too hollow to be coming from her mouth.

"It doesn't matter anymore. You're going to get your reward now," the woman replied, patting her head again before stepping away from her.

Reward? For some reason she didn't think that would be a good thing. The panic was setting in again, the inability to remember overwhelming her and causing her face to funny things, her teeth elongating.

_Calm yourself._

There was the voice in her head again, that voice that wasn't soothing at all, too authoritarian, demanding and never letting her do anything but what it wanted. It was worse than the woman in front of her and had her freezing, teeth sliding back into place as she stared at the woman, trying to figure what was happening.

"Silas thanks you for your service, Elena Gilbert," the woman continued, but a new man stepped in front of her holding a piece of wood. Why did he have wood? "And he thinks death is the best reward for all you've done."

The words made little sense to her. Is she Elena? How is death a reward? Death is a consequence, not something that should be bestowed on someone as a prize. But the wood was piercing her chest before she could mutter a word, ending her life without her even knowing what she'd done with it. Death was quick, a pulling sensation as life finally left all of her and while she was still in the room, she was no longer in her body, but looking out at everything that was still happening.

"It's finished," the man grinned, pulling back his shirt sleeve and she watched as a mark began to form across it, winding its way upward and behind the rest of his shirt.

It all began to come back to her in that moment. Every piece of what had happened, of what she'd done— _Damon_ —oh god she'd killed…she screamed at the unfairness of it all, falling to her knees as every memory of the last few weeks bombarded her, showing her all of the horrors she had dealt out, all of the people she'd killed. Remembering Jeremy and Matt's deaths, the fact they'd died because of a cure, something she didn't even want and everyone still seemed to be trying to find.

Something the monsters in the room would be able to find now if what she remembered about the Hunter's mark was true.

By the time she looked up again the people were all filing out of the room, looking entirely too excited, and Elena knew that couldn't be good. "It's time we free Silas," the woman smiled, staring over at the exact spot Elena was in before shutting the door and leaving her utterly alone.

 


	24. Chapter 24

_What is to give light must also endure burning.—Viktor E. Frankl_

* * *

Caroline had figured out early on that one could learn a lot about a person by seeing how they reacted during a crisis. Some people ran around like chickens with their heads cut off, not quite knowing what to do and adding more fuel to an already raging fire. Others took on leadership roles, showing their natural talent for taking control of a situation and working to get others where they needed to be. Others followed directions, trying not to be any trouble and simply looking for anything that might get them out of the situation alive. Or at times, people simply shut down completely.

The knowledge that the map had been completed on Eddie and Vaughn had caused a wave of energy to crackle through everyone, causing the mass packing of the cars with belongings and necessities. She could practically hear the thoughts in everyone's head, knowing they had to be echoing her own. The road to Silas had gotten shorter and the final battle was just beyond the bend. A battle that she didn't think any of them were quite ready for, no matter how badly they needed to be.

"What about Kol?" Rebekah demanded and Caroline watched the girl step into Klaus' pathway not caring that she was obstructing the current loading of the vehicles.

"He always manages to find us, Rebekah," Elijah reminded, coming to stand beside his sister even as Klaus side stepped her, placing in the headstone and carefully wrapped bones.

"But that takes ages, not hours, not days. Sometimes it's not for decades," Rebekah pointed out, her voice rising with each word. "We can't just leave him. We need to leave a note. Something."

"We can't chance that someone else will find it. Not now," Elijah replied, and that didn't seem to help calm his sister at all.

"We can't leave him!" Rebekah reiterated, looking between the two of them, and Caroline bit her lip at that. For all of the other girl's faults, it was obvious that she did love her family, that she was worried about Kol.

"Then perhaps he should have held his tongue," Klaus muttered as he closed the trunk, the harshness in his tone surprising even Caroline.

"You simply didn't like the truths he had to tell," Rebekah replied, stepping back as Klaus spun around, yellow flashing in his eyes and looking ready to take her head off. "And now we don't where he is and even if he returns here he won't know where we've gone. How can he when he doesn't have access to the map? We won't even be in this country anymore."

"Niklaus," Elijah started, and Caroline wondered how often Elijah had to play the role of peacemaker over the centuries. Probably quite a bit with how easily the other two seemed to rise to one another's bait.

"You can always stay behind to tell him where we're headed. Of course that's  _if_  he should return," Klaus pointed out, pushing past his siblings. "We're not waiting. Either get in the car or stay here. I do not care which you decide but we are leaving in minutes. Waste your life away here waiting for the one who always runs. Your choice, both of you. Isn't this what you always wanted? To be able to decide your own fate?" Klaus stretched his arms wide. "There are no daggers and coffins here. I won't stop you. But I will stop Silas from rising. From Mother and Mikael being able to return. Do what you want. I no longer care."

"What about our vows?" Rebekah demanded, hands curling into fists at her sides. "Always and forever. That's what we said. Would you cast us aside so easily?"

"Rebekah," Elijah tried again but she wasn't done speaking.

"I stuck with you  _always._  Up until you threw me away over blood bags and  _her._ " The venom in her voice and the hatred in her eyes as she looked at her had Caroline stepping back, not wanting to be anywhere near Rebekah in that moment. "He'll chew you up and spit you out as well when you don't adhere to his every whim. If he can do it to his siblings than what chance does an _obsession_  have?"

Klaus' hand was around Rebekah's throat before anyone could react, hoisting his sister into the air as he drew her closer. Her feet dangled, hands wrapping around his own, trying to pry it off as he glared at her. "Your jealousy is showing, dear sister, and it's a horrible shade on you."

He tossed her to the side, Elijah catching her before she could hit the ground, and headed over to Caroline, grabbing her arm and steering her toward the already packed car. "Stop it," Caroline demanded, trying to break free from his grasp, his fingers biting into her skin, causing pain.

"Get in the car, Caroline," he told her, his voice hard and unyielding as he opened the car door, looking ready to shove her into it.

She pushed at him, trying to overpower his strength and not do as he wanted. It had little effect and it was her turn to glare at Klaus as Vincent headed over to the driver's side. "Is this what you think it's going to be like if I ever do decide 'oh hey, maybe I'll give Klaus that chance'? That you can pull me around and dictate my life? Because  _hell no."_

He didn't release his hold on her then but his grip lessened some, no longer hurting as he stared down at her. "I prefer to call it protecting, rather than dictating."

"Yeah, well, I prefer to call it bullying and that's so not gonna work for me," she bit out, glaring up at him, chin held high in defiance.

She didn't expect his smile or for him to press back a stray strand of hair from her face.  _Seriously?_ The contradictions that were Klaus Mikaelson were going to drive her insane. "Ah, but you're seeing an eventual us," Klaus pointed out and she shook her head at how he could twist the situation around to his own benefit.

"I'm seeing no freaking us because of how you're treating me and your sister," she replied, trying not to flinch at how quickly his almost jovial demeanor turned harsh.

"Rebekah needs to learn to hold her tongue," Klaus informed her as he nodded toward the car seats.

Caroline stood firm, refusing to go inside still. "Or you need to learn to take criticism."

"Why don't we finish this conversation on the road, Caroline?" Klaus replied lips twisted in annoyance before he sighed. "Because we are not staying here another minute. The town was ready to kill you. Burn you alive in your sleep. And I am not waiting for my foolish brother who has always run and has always managed to find us when he needs to for another minute." It was impossible not to shudder at the thought of what might have happened to her, at what Silas had twisted the humans into wanting to do. "Besides, Kol has his phone on him. I have mine. He'll call if he needs to."

Oh. Right.

"Why didn't you just remind Rebekah of that?" Because surely that would have calmed his sister down significantly.

"If she'd take a breath between her hysterics she'd figure that out on her own," Klaus replied, nodding toward the open door again. "Far be it from me to withhold the opportunity for her to be overly dramatic."

Caroline glanced back to where the other Mikaelson siblings had been moments ago but they were no longer there. Instead she spotted Rebekah in another car with Stefan and Elijah, animatedly talking as Stefan started the car. "Now, will you please get inside?" Klaus asked, and she looked back at him before acquiescing to his request.

"What about Bonnie?" They'd just been reunited, she wasn't losing her again. Besides they needed her and the Hunters and everyone else for the battle they were going to be headed into.

Klaus slid into the car beside her, shutting the door. Vincent started the car and Caroline watched as Klaus pointed to another car, inside were Vaughn and the younger Hunter. "She will be riding in that one with Lucy and the Hunters. You will not be riding with them. The younger one looks entirely too trigger happy for my tastes," Klaus informed her, and she was ready to protest that, but it was true. The younger one did look twitchy around the rest of them and the last thing she wanted was to be staked.

Caroline watched as Bonnie and her cousin headed toward another car. Bonnie even waved briefly at her before frowning at the sight of Klaus, a silent 'are you alright?' passing between the two friends. All Caroline could do was nod and force a smile. "She needs to work on the spell with her cousin or I'd have insisted she ride along with us," Klaus continued, and Caroline couldn't deny the truth in that statement either. She knew her friend needed to practice.

The car lurched forward, away from the house and down toward the still burning village before veering right. Caroline froze as she picked up on screams, unsure where they were coming from at first before her gaze fixed on the burning buildings. There were people who had been alive that were now meeting the same fate that she would have if they'd gotten the opportunity to follow through with their orders.

Men and women who had been manipulated by an immortal that none of them had ever seen before. It worried Caroline how powerful Silas must have been to be able to reach this far out in the world, to be able to manipulate others as he was while locked away. What would happen if he was able to rise? How many more would die or become twisted versions of themselves because of him?

They passed an abandoned bike on the road-a child's one-and a cold realization slid over her as she looked back at the burning village. There were children in there, ones who wouldn't have been able to do a thing against any of them, and Klaus had said there would be no survivors. Did that…

She looked over at him, eyes wide as he watched her for a moment before nodding. "Would you rather they starved to death with none to look after them?" he asked, deducing where her thought process had gone. "Or maybe they somehow survive this day, only to never truly know why their parents and siblings met such a horrible fate? Lives never quite fulfilled because they forever wonder why they survived. Or perhaps learn precisely what happened and their life become nothing but a course of revenge that will only end in their death and the deaths of all those lives they touched?"

She didn't answer him, didn't want to think about it all as cold and calculating as he was, especially since they were dying so that she would live. How was her life worth more than theirs? Just because Klaus thought so? How was that fair?

Caroline had learned long ago that life wasn't fair though, that happy endings weren't really a thing because life kept going after the king and queen married. Sometimes they divorced and their princess was left wondering why it had gone so wrong. Then her life was altered forever and she became one of the monsters from her own stories. She knew that if she did die there would only be more death than the village below. Klaus would cut a swath of red through the world in order to bring her back, not caring who he killed in the process.

Just as she would for her mother.

It didn't make the lives lost on that day any less meaningful, just like Jeremy and Matt's deaths had been awful, their lives cut too short, these ones weren't being allowed to live to their potential either. She wanted to blame it on Klaus, to pull away from his hand that had taken hold of her own, squeezing it gently as he rubbed his thumb across the top in a soothing motion. Part of her did, part of her would cling to that for a while probably, but the larger part knew that none of the chaos of the last few weeks would have happened without Silas's manipulation.

How were they supposed to battle that? Would a headstone, bones and some magic really be enough? And with the map having suddenly completed on Vaughn and Eddie—who hadn't killed any vampires recently—her worry was only amplified. There were three more Hunters out there; they'd known that, but what if one of those who were on Team 'Wake up Silas' had one? What if they had access to the map too now? What if they got to his location first?

But she refused to think that way, to let the endless possibilities that could end badly go through her mind, to pull her down into darkness. She needed to hold onto hope for a better future, that they would persevere and Silas would never get the chance to rise. Bonnie and Lucy would finish him off and then everything could go back to…well, not normal.

Caroline didn't think anything would ever really go back to the way it had been. Not with so many dead, not with everything they had all seen and experienced. She'd seen the changes in Bonnie and while she didn't know everything her friend had been through, Caroline had feeling Bonnie couldn't simply step back into the high school routine and everything that went along with it. Caroline was sure she couldn't, even if part of her desperately wanted to cling to that last bit of her human life a little longer.

And then there was Elena. How were any of them going to be able to help Elena who she had to believe was also being manipulated? There was just no way she could see her friend willingly killing and changing witches. So even if all of those deaths weren't technically her fault Caroline had a feeling Elena would see them as being so and how were they to help her cope with that much death being on her shoulders?

She looked out the window, ignoring the way Klaus watched her, and wondered how different they all would be once everything with Silas was finished. Would they even recognize one another? Would they recognize themselves? And most importantly for her, would her mother recognize her once her memories were returned and accept what she was becoming?

Caroline hoped so, clung tightly to that glimmer, letting it curl around her and wash some of her anxiety away. Hope was a powerful emotion and Caroline Forbes wasn't about to let go of it anytime soon.

After all, in spite of everything, she would persevere. They all would. She'd make sure of it.

* * *

Joining up with Tyler and his group of misfits had seemed like a good idea at the time and considering it allowed her access to a Hunter who's map had completed, it wasn't entirely a waste. But the uselessness of everyone in the group, their lack of information about anything supernatural outside of werewolves or even knowledge outside of the twenty-first century was beyond grating. At least Tyler's access to the Lockwood funds had meant they'd traveled to Paris in style, even if she couldn't quite enjoy the first class treatment like she wanted, needing to keep up with her Elena ruse.

Tyler might not know Elena the best out of the Mystic Falls lot, but she'd seen his confusion a few times when she'd slipped up, becoming a little too complacent and letting her own self shine through. It was easy enough to cover up, a quick trembling lip, worry over Damon and more importantly Caroline, and any suspicions that the hybrid might have had were quickly pushed to the side. But playing the part of Elena Gilbert would only get her so far and it was becoming rather obvious that the idiots she'd placed herself with were going to need more than a gentle nod in the right direction.

"Does anyone even know what language this is?" Tyler asked, scrutinizing the new ink on the Hunter's chest that they were all staring at.

"Latin?" one of the wolves asked. She never did bother to learn their names. What was the point when they were simply going to be used as bargaining chips or shields later on?

"No. Hebrew maybe?" another offered. "It looks similar to that."

The Hunter wasn't much better, simply shrugging, and Katherine tried not to roll her eyes at that. Of course she'd be stuck with one of them who didn't know anything that was going on. Only recently activated if what he'd shared on the plane had been true. "It's Aramaic," she butted in, holding up her phone when they all looked at her curiously. "I took a picture and google image searched it."

"Ara—okay." Tyler frowned and the Hunter tugged his shirt back over his head. "Where do they speak that?"

Was he serious? Of course he was. "Nowhere does. It's an ancient dead language," she continued, watching the group's expressions sour at that answer. "But we should be able to find someone who can decipher it all for us here. In Paris."

"Where?" the Hunter asked and she couldn't help but wonder how any of this lot had managed to survive their years so far.

"The Sorbonne," she replied, still being met with baffled looks. Katherine tipped her phone at them again. "It's a big college here in Paris. They have a language department. Can't hurt to see if anyone there can help, right? Tyler or I could compel them for answers."

"Oh. Right. We'll head there then," Tyler nodded, pulling out his own phone and typing away, pausing to look up at her after a moment. "How do you spell that?"

Did she really need them any longer? Would it truly hurt to simply rip their throats open and leave them to die in the hotel room? Except it would, she knew that. It was too soon to cut ties with any of them when she didn't know exactly what would lay in wait once she got to the location that the map led to. Better to keep them around to be slaughtered later than do so now because they were trying her patience. Besides, Tyler should be able to help her with the plans she currently had running through her head in regard to Caroline. Plus the Hunter couldn't be compelled and killing him would have dire consequences for her.

"I think we can ask the concierge," she replied, not wanting to know too many details, still needing to play the part of Elena Gilbert who didn't know French. Little things she could put pass them, but too many little coincidences might add up to trouble for her and a quick talk to the concierge would have them on the correct path in a few more minutes.

Of course a few minutes here and there could equal further problems later on down the line, but she'd calculate for that along the way as well. No matter what she'd make it out of this alive, hopefully with her freedom secured as well. If others had to be screwed over along the way that was just fine with Katherine. It wasn't as though she hadn't done so countless times before to people she had actually cared for at one time or another.

She had learned long ago to put herself first, to live by her own creed, because no one but she would truly look out for her own well-being. Better they die than her; that motto had served her well over the centuries and she wasn't about to try a new one out just yet. Trusting others simply meant giving them a chance to betray her and she would never make the same mistake ever again.

"Good idea, Elena," Tyler told her as everyone filed out of the room; hand on her arm to stop her for a moment. "You okay? I know this has to be throwing you for as big a loop as it is me. Being out of the country. Not knowing where any of the others are."

"I keep trying to reach them but no one's answering." It was a lie, but she told it well, making sure to look absolutely pathetic and a bit frazzled to garner the appropriate amount of sympathy.

"We'll find them all," he promised, giving her arm a squeeze, and Katherine offered up a smile, wondering how he could still be so naive after all he'd experienced. No doubt it was because of hope, that lingering emotion that screwed with more people than it helped.

Her smile seemed to do the trick though and Tyler headed off to join the others, leaving her to her own thoughts for a moment as she trailed after them, keeping a careful distance from the wolves who still didn't appreciate her presence. It took hardly any time at all to get directions to the Sorbonne and Katherine couldn't help but smile as they stepped out onto the bustling streets of Paris.

One step closer to finding out where they needed to head next and one step closer to her freedom, but she knew better than to drop her guard now. Play her part, learn what she could and keep adjusting her plans as needed. So when the time arrived, she would do whatever she had to in order to come out on top, regardless of who she had to step over in order to do so.

Even Elijah, if he was there.

Or at least that's what she continued to tell herself, to cling to, pushing down whatever feelings she had for the Original who had chosen family over her all over again, who had chosen  _Klaus_.

Katherine was nearly overcome by the rising hatred that wanted to sweep through her, to rush everything along, and she forced her body to react as she needed it to, not as it wanted. Klaus Mikaelson would pay for all he'd done, she'd ensure that happened. It was just a matter of time now that she knew a weakness of his that she could finally exploit. No need to get ahead of herself and ruin it all when she was so close to finally getting everything she wanted.

"Elena?" Tyler called out, looking back at her, and she hurried up to join the group, ready to keep on playing the part.

* * *

Running. Again.

It was what he'd always done whenever the dramatics between his family had become too much. They could handle being around one another for a few decades, sometimes even less, if they were lucky maybe almost a century would pass before the daggers would come out to play. Kol barely remembered what it was like before those annoying weapons had come into the picture, back when they'd been forced to endure one another's company.

There had been a lot of blood and destruction at first, feasting in the power that they'd suddenly had at their fingerstips before it all had turned on its head. Mother dead. Father trying to hunt them down. Finn's slow descent into hating everything that they had become. Maybe if they hadn't left Sage behind when they'd been forced to run that one time he wouldn't have become such a stick-in-the mud.

Oh well. Not much that could be done about it now considering they were both dead.

Kol had thought after the death of Esther that just maybe things would have been a little different, that old paranoia wouldn't run so deep, but it seemed that the roots of all that stood between them were too far down in the ground to ever be truly ripped away. They just kept growing back, all of the slights, the betrayals, the refusals of the last few centuries held against one another at the slightest hesitation.

Looked like old habits weren't as easy to get rid of as he'd hoped. There had been a time when he'd been able to head out into a town with Klaus and enjoy the game of drinking and debauchery that followed. It'd happened briefly in Mystic Falls even, but it never lasted. They had forever but what good was it if they couldn't stand the sight of one another.

He'd known the Mikael Jr comment would cut deep. It's why he'd said it and left without a fight, not wanting to be near the others, to hear the condemnations thrown about. Not that he could stay gone long, not with all that was happening in the world, but a few hours away couldn't possibly hurt.

Which was why he'd headed a bit farther away than the village just past Vincent's place, wanting to be far enough away to feel like there was enough distance between him and the drama that were his siblings but also near enough to head back if needed. There was a hotel just off the road, weather worn and Kol had a feeling it wasn't quite as up to date on its plumbing as some of the other places he'd stayed recently, but it had a few occupied rooms and that was all that he needed.

Nice thing about hotels was that they weren't owned by any of the current residents. No pesky invitation required which suited him just fine. Not as lucky a coincidence for the four backpackers ?

The one near the stairwell seemed like a far more refreshing experience than the one soiling his pants on the floor. He went straight for him, fangs flashing as he pushed the man into the wall, not bothering with any pretense as he tore into his neck, feasting away.

The other headed back in the other direction, cornering himself in a room, like cattle waiting for the slaughter. Kol could hear the others downstairs, their soft cries echoing in his ears as they tried to fight his compulsion, unable to step outside of the hotel even though they'd gotten to the front door.

He dropped his current victim, letting the man slide down the wall, clutching his open wound, that flicker of hope coming back in his eyes as he started to crawl away. Kol let him get a few feet, allowing that hope to grow, before stepping forward and turning the man over, watching it die as he leaned over him. He smiled down at the man before shoving his hand in the man's chest. It was over before he'd even touched the man's heart, the shock of it all killing the man in seconds.

So predictable.

He wanted the heart though, tossed it between his hands as he danced toward the room where the other waited. He could practically hear the man trembling with fear, wondered if he was trying to hide in the closet or under the bed.

Kol pushed open the door and arched a brow at the man sitting on the bed, shaking like a leaf and threw the heart to him, clapping as the man caught it. He could pinpoint the exact moment realization dawned in the man's expression, the horror of holding his friend's heart washing over him and turning his skin a lovely pale color. The scream echoed in the room, spiking the fear in all who still survived and Kol laughed, closing the door and leaving the man with the heart for a little longer.

He'd be last.

Kol headed down the stairs, grinning as he found the older couple in front of the doors, both falling to their knees and whimpering some forgotten prayer. He was ready to continue on with his fun when he noted the smoke in the sky coming from the direction of the other village. It was more than there should be for an evening meal, the blackness a telltale sign that something was still burning.

He wanted to ignore it, to continue on with his game, but an annoying worry started to curl inside of him, reminding him of all that was at stake at the moment. He could always return to the hotel once he learned that everything was fine back at Vincent's. A quick run over would be enough to stifle his worries.

"Be right back," he told the crying couple, enjoying their rising sobs as he took off into the night.

He saw the village in flames and headed to Vincent's, finding it empty and all of the cars gone. Something had happened and it seemed as though he wouldn't be heading back to the hotel. Unfortunate for those left inside who would be unable to leave. Maybe he'd revisit them in a few years when they'd gone completely mad and have some more fun with them or perhaps they'd starve to death, but for now he needed to find the others.

Obviously something had spooked the lot, enough to abandon Vincent's place as well as kill everyone in the village. Those people were set to die anyway but it was supposed to be in order to help finish off the map, not by fire. Kol sped down the road, following the tire tracks and flashed off into the distance, spotting the convoy of cars miles down the road.

Kol flashed ahead, moving down the road before where the cars had made it and stopped in the middle of the road, grinning brightly as the cars sped his way, the first barely stopping in time to avoid hitting him.

He shook his head, tsking how close it had been as car doors opened, revealing the delightful little witch, his siblings and the others. "Miss me?" Kol asked, grinning as he patted the hood of the car closest to him.

"Get in the bloody car, Kol," Klaus ordered, still wound entirely too tight.

He had half a mind to argue back, to continue on with the battle for power that always seemed to come to a head between the two of them, but Elijah's voice cut through the night before he could. "The map is complete, Kol. We need to get to the location before anyone else."

"Why didn't you just start with that?" Kol suggested, heading over to slide into the passenger seat of Klaus' car. "Always with the orders. You need to try a more strategic approach, brother. One where you let people know what's going on instead of expecting us to read your mind."

"Or you could listen and do as your told," Klaus replied, nodding to Vincent to start driving again.

"You're not my father," Kol reminded, not bothering to look back but knowing how much that line rankled his brother. "Nor mother. And I barely listened to their rules to begin with. What makes you think I'd do so to yours?" It wasn't as though he had through the centuries, why start now? "But then again, you didn't used to have so bloody many of them either. Has he told you the tales of our adventures, Caroline?"

He looked back then at the blonde, smiling at her and winking at Klaus who looked none too pleased with the conversation. "I'm really not in the mood for storytelling right now," Caroline told him, arms crossed and eyes narrowed.

She really was delightful, an absolute spitfire, who was more fun to rankle than Klaus half the time. "No? Shall we talk about the significance of a werewolf not attacking a vampire then?" he asked, loving the way she tensed at that question, amused by how Klaus seemed to relax a bit at it as well. "Want to tell me about what all transpired between the two of you while you were all alone with only Vincent here for company? And no offense, mate, but you're a bloody bore." He looked over at the other vampire, clapping him on the shoulder. "So what will it be, Caroline? You regale me with tales or I let you in on a few little secrets."

"I go with option three where Vincent turns on the radio and no one talks," she told him, and Kol laughed.

"But they're such intriguing little tales. Full of blood, horror, some sex. They'd be a…what are they called? Movie? I think that's what's big nowadays. People would enjoy watching them, seeing how it all played out," Kol continued, his grin only growing at Klaus' annoyance. "Used to be plays. They were what was considered entertainment and they were decent enough. Lovely little places to get a snack at least. But I've seen how graphic the movies and video games can get. Such a delightful violent society in the making."

"Why don't you go join Rebekah's car?" Klaus suggested, eyes narrowed and Kol wondered how long it would be before dagger threats were tossed about. "Or at least be helpful and join the witches. We need to make sure Bonnie knows the spell, something that should already have been mastered."

Ah, the Bennett witch. As much fun as it would be to remain with Klaus and Caroline, to continue to bait and annoy his brother, it really would be best to ensure that Bonnie finally grasped the spell. Especially if the map was completed. "Stop the car, Vincent," Kol told the other vampire, not surprised when the man looked behind for confirmation from Klaus.

Once the car was stopped, Kol got out, but popped his head back in for a moment, needing to leave on a high note. "Be sure to ask him about Prague, Caroline. He did such a wonderful job at driving the poor judge's wife insane that she slaughtered her entire family to try and gain his love. And that was only the beginning."

He laughed at Klaus' narrowing eyes and snarl before heading over to join Bonnie's group in their car. "Hello, darlings," Kol greeted as he slid onto the seat next to the younger Bennett witch. "I hear we have some practice to be doing."

Bonnie's responding glare and Lucy's deep sigh was music to his ears. Who said he couldn't have some fun while they headed to their destination?

* * *

Once the map was completed it should have been smooth sailing to get to the destination. The fact that the map was written in a language that hadn't been used in centuries was proving to make matters more difficult. It didn't help that it wasn't an easily searchable one via the internet, requiring someone who studied Aramaic to be able to decipher the coordinates. Unfortunately Valerie no longer had access to a vampire who could have compelled the knowledge from a professor and so she needed to go back to her roots for answers.

At least they had gotten to Spain, closer than they would have been if they'd stayed on the other continent. She wasn't foolish, she knew the other groups who were looking for Silas were also in Europe, had a vague notion of where precisely they were located—the country at least—but it was up to the other minions to deal with them for the moment.

She needed to concentrate, to hope that none of her followers would betray her in the next few minutes when she put herself into a trance, leaving her body vulnerable to any outward attacks. It was needed though, a sure way to contact Silas who would know the language, to give him access to see through her eyes from however many miles away he was currently from them.

"Don't move. My voice may alter a bit for a few moments. Nothing to worry about," she assured the worried Hunter who sat in front of her, chest bared and showing the map.

He still looked too apprehensive for her tastes and she glanced over at her followers, noting the sedative the one held just in case the man in front of her needed to be taken down. They needed the map on his skin and possibly more from him once they got the destination. It was far too late in the game for her to find another Hunter to manipulate and she would not lose the one they had.

It didn't take long for the effects of the spell she was muttering under her breath to take effect, feeling Silas's presence inside of her mind, coldness sweeping through her body. It only took a few more seconds for him to take control of her vision, of her movements, and in less than five minutes he'd translated the words and symbols displayed on the Hunters chest and arms.

_Bring as many followers as you can, Valencia,_  he murmured in her head, the sound coiling around her spine, steeling her as she felt his presence begin to dissipate.  _I will need all of them and you will finally get all that you are destined for._

Valencia gasped as she regained control, her body practically humming with renewed vigor. She didn't doubt that any who followed her to their destination wouldn't be walking away from the experience, but that was fine with her. All that mattered was the power she had been promised, that she would gain from all of her years of loyalty. Every sacrifice she had made would be worth it in the end.

"Where are we going?" the Hunter asked, watching her carefully as she looked down at the paper.

"Greece."

Considering how old the myths surrounding Silas were it wasn't that surprising that he'd be somewhere in that region. From the looks of the coordinates as she tapped them into her phone it seemed that he was in the water of the Mediterranean, on a piece of land that wasn't showing on any map that was pulled up.

She had a feeling a spell or two cloaked its existence, hiding it away from the world unless it was stumbled upon by accident, or by following the map that was supposed to lead to it. The Hunters were supposed to go there to kill Silas, to end his life before his reign could ever truly start, but that was a bit of knowledge lost to most who had become Hunters over the centuries. The witch who had created them hadn't quite thought that part through, no doubt expecting the Original Five to do their duty and not needing to worry about what would happen to the line if they didn't. And that worked out just fine for Valencia.

"Let's get moving. Some of the others are closer to the destination than we are," she muttered, pleased when everyone snapped into action, ready to leave the hotel.

She would need to call on some of the other witches on Silas side to try and create some barriers for the other groups. Hers would get their first, no matter who had to die in the process.

* * *

Kol's departure from their car hadn't really cut the tension that his presence had built up. It shouldn't have been a surprise for the younger Mikaelson to stir up trouble, which had always been Kol's forte, his specialty for antagonizing anyone of his siblings. Usually it was family related for Klaus, some dig about Mikael or Esther, perhaps something to do with his inability to access his werewolf side before the curse had been finally broken. But now Caroline had been added to Kol's source of ammunition and Klaus hated that, despised that his younger brother was able to poke at the both of them and stir up the uncomfortable atmosphere.

"Would it be better for me to go into detail on what Kol was referring to or simply let your imagination run wild?" he asked, glancing over at Caroline who'd managed to inch over closer to the window than she had been previously.

"Seriously?" she shuddered, and he couldn't help the smile that tugged at his lips over her reaction. "No thank you. So do not want to know the details on that one at all. I have a feeling the reality is way worse than anything my mind can come up with."

He couldn't discount that possibility. For everything that the Mystic Falls gang had dealt with in the last few years, it was merely the tip of the iceberg for what his family had experienced in the last ten centuries. The horrors that Caroline had dealt with were mere blips on Klaus' radar and he knew she'd deal with far more horrendous events as time moved on.

History had a way of repeating itself. The same mistakes being perpetuated throughout the centuries. Power and monetary gain a root cause for so many of the wars that echoed through time. There would be more in the coming years and he'd ensure she survived them, giving her the skills needed to thrive during those times, and the difficulties of the last few years would become nothing more than distant memories.

"You'll come to find that Kol enjoys baiting everyone in his own ways. He likes to cause chaos," Klaus continued, and she snorted at that.

"I've kind of already figured that one out, Klaus." At least that had gotten a smile out of her, something he hadn't seen her do in the last few hours. "But he was gone a lot? That's kind of what I gathered from what you all were like yelling at one another. I know he was daggered for a bit, but Elijah said he always managed to find his way back to you guys."

Klaus strummed his fingers along the armrest on the door, noting that Vincent was looking back at them through the rearview mirror, quickly averting his gaze once he realized he was spotted. "Kol was never one for rules or for being subtle. He likes to do as he pleases and creating spectacles is something he loves to do. That couldn't be tolerated while we were on the run from Mikael."

At least not when they knew their father was too close for comfort. It had been easier in the earlier centuries to let Kol do as he pleased. Communication through the lands wasn't as quick as it would become later on and tales of his antics were usually altered greatly before it ever met Mikael's ears. "So he would leave for a time, do as he wished and create whatever catastrophes that he enjoyed. Sometimes he'd meet up with witches and stay with them for a decade or two."

"Really?" Caroline glanced backward, no doubt looking at Bonnie's car, before turning her attention over to him. "I can't really see him and witches getting along well."

Klaus grinned at that. "His impetuousness can be something to get around but he's got quite the bit of knowledge in his head from his own lessons when we were human to all that he managed to find out as a vampire. He was one of the few of us who took after Esther with her magical skill."

"He was a witch?" Her skepticism probably shouldn't have amused him as much as it did. He did understand that it must have been difficult to see those aspects in Kol now. The centuries had altered him greatly and losing his ability to magic had been hard for his brother to handle at first.

"As was Rebekah and my youngest brother," Klaus replied, his fingers stopping their movements as a melancholy tried to grab hold of him. It always did when he allowed himself to think of Henrik and the dark fate the boy had met.

"Youngest brother?"

Klaus turned to look at Caroline, taking in her confusion tempered with concern. He almost mistook it for pity, that emotion that he couldn't stand being directed his way, but no, that wasn't what he saw in her eyes. "A story for another time."

He took out his phone, trying to stave off the moodiness that he could feel trying to overtake him. He had no time for that, needing to focus on what was happening now, and clicked through to the pictures he'd taken of the Hunter's map.

"What does it say?" she asked, and Klaus noted that she'd scooted back closer to him, leaning over to look at the photographs as well. "I don't know that language but it looks old. Like not Latin. Older maybe."

"Aramaic," Klaus told her and read the text inked onto Vaughn's chest. "We have the coordinates here and know where we're going but there are a few other strands that I didn't get a good enough look at before." And he did not relish the idea of walking into something without having all the pieces at his disposal.

"You think they'll help us with taking Silas down?" Caroline asked, leaning back against the seat.

"I think they're there for a reason. The witch who created this wouldn't have put them on the map for decoration," Klaus replied, his attention remaining on the phone. It took a lot of magic to etch this into someone's skin and to make it so the same map would form on others throughout the centuries. There had to be a purpose behind each piece of it.

"And then what happens?" she continued, and he looked up, seeing her staring out the window again and waited for her to elaborate. "When everything with Silas is finished what happens next? We get my mom back, I know that, but…it all won't go back to how it was before."

"No. It won't." He was grateful that she had realized their lives wouldn't return to how they had been, that she wasn't going to try and stick her head in the sand and deny all that had begun between them. "What do you want to have happen?"

Whatever Caroline might have said was cut off as their car spun out of control. The sound of tires screeching pierced through the night air, metal crashing into metal as the cars of their convoy collided with one another, shrieks mingling with the sounds. Klaus had fallen on top of Caroline, pinning her to the seat as he tried to protect her body from any flying debris as the car finally skidded to a stop. She clung to him, the smell of gasoline and other liquids penetrating his senses. Klaus grabbed Caroline's arms, heaving her out of the wreckage and into the cool night air as he glanced around, trying to figure out what had happened.

The cars were a tangled mess. He could already see Elijah, Stefan and Rebekah managing to break free from their car and there was nothing he could see on the road that should have caused the car to spin as it had.

"Bonnie?" Caroline called out, ready to head back toward the car her friend was supposed to be inside of, but Klaus caught her arm, dragging her back to him.

She was not leaving his sight. Someone was trying to delay them, to stop them from reaching the destination and Klaus had a feeling this was only the beginning of the distraction. He kept his gaze on the road and surrounding areas, trying to pinpoint who had caused their cars to veer off as they had.

"I'm fine, Care," Bonnie called out, being pulled out of the car by his brother, Lucy following moments after. "Eddie's not though." Klaus spotted the younger Hunter's body, head twisted unnaturally in the wreckage. "Vaughn's banged up but he should be okay." No worries then.

"Take the blood, mate," Kol demanded, shoving his bleeding wrist toward the surviving Hunter. "Just don't go dying in the next twenty-four hours or so."

The trees on the side of the road beside them suddenly lit up covered in flames and they stepped back, the rest of the group managing to get out of their cars as well and heading over to them. "Get what we need," Klaus demanded, looking over at Vincent who went back to the car to gather the materials they needed to take down Silas. "What is the point in having witches if you're not bloody well doing your job?"

He stared hard at Lucy and Bonnie, still keeping his firm hold on Caroline, trying to block her from view, which was difficult as he couldn't ascertain where the magic was coming from. "Found them," Kol murmured, his voice low, and Klaus followed the line of his gaze, seeing the dozen or so witches in the distance, hiding in the shadows of the forest.

Klaus picked up a hubcap and threw it, watching it fly through the air and slicing neatly through two of the witches, effectively cutting them in half. The flames in the tree died down, screams erupting from the other side as Bonnie and Lucy stepped forward, murmuring their own chants to incapacitate, causing the witches to falter and fall as their power was diminished.

That wouldn't be enough though. It might take the witches down for a little while but they would only come back with a vengeance. He looked over at Kol then Rebekah and Elijah, who all nodded, flashing forward and snapping necks as they moved through the group, killing every last one of them.

"We had it under control," Bonnie cried out, hands trembling with barely contained anger. "They didn't need to die. They probably don't even realize what they're doing."

Her naivety sickened him and Klaus gritted his teeth as he looked over at her, his disdain clearly showing. She had him frozen in place though and he snarled at her, hating that she was able to use that kind of power on him, wanting nothing more than to smite her in that moment.

"Bonnie, stop it," Caroline urged and she stepped in front of him, making it so Bonnie would have to immobilize her as well. "They'd just follow us and do it all over again. We already lost Eddie."

"How many more will we lose?" Bonnie murmured, and Caroline sighed at that, taking a step forward but Klaus latched onto her again, refusing to let her leave his side.

"Hopefully no one else," Caroline replied, her movements stopping for the moment. "We need to get out of here."

"Yes, well, our transportation options just became rather limited," Rebekah muttered, glancing at their cars. Only the last one was even remotely salvageable and wouldn't be able to carry all of them.

"Elijah and Kol will accompany Bonnie, Lucy and Vaughn to the train station. And we'll meet up in Greece. Vincent, Stefan and Rebekah will bring alone the items we need. I take it that you three can find your own way there, sister," Klaus instructed, ignoring her huff at being left out of the car. Elijah nodded and Klaus knew he'd ensure that the others would make it there.

"What about Caroline?" Bonnie insisted, looking over at the two of them.

"Meet us in Greece," Klaus replied and looked over at Vincent, watching the vampire nod his assent as well.

Klaus kept his grip on Caroline and sped off into the night, flashing the two of them away before anyone could reply or she could argue, not bothering to deal with any more questions or concerns. They knew what was at stake and would do as he said, hopefully sooner rather than later, but he wasn't going to wait around while they all argued with one another in the open. Not when it was obvious that those working for Silas still knew of their whereabouts.

"Klaus."

He ignored Caroline's repeated call of his name as he dragged her through the countryside and forests, pushing her past any limits she'd ever used before. He'd run more times than he would ever be able to recall in this exact way from Mikael. Bundling away in the middle of the night before they'd gotten to the Old World and were able to spread out more than they had on the Eastern Shore, back when they had still been learning about their new abilities and what they had become.

It wasn't until he spotted the Danube River that he slowed down, hopeful that they were far enough away from the others that it would be a bit more difficult to track them. Splitting up had its bonuses and its downsides, but it would mean that Silas' followers would need to split up as well in order to deal with them, and the others all had vital pieces to bring Silas down. Klaus thought it might allow for him and Caroline to be a little less in demand, aside from the fact that the immortal seemed hell-bent on her death in the last few weeks as a means to get him on his side. But Kol and Elijah would be able to protect the witches and Hunter and the others could handle the artifacts needed for the spell.

He would protect Caroline without any of their distractions. It should only take a day at the most for everyone to meet up anyway and while a lot could happen in the course of a day, he thought the groupings would give them an edge against any further witch attacks, especially if he and Caroline didn't stick to one place for too long and continued moving with vampire speed.

There was a witch he trusted in Greece who could help once they arrived.

"Are we running the whole way?" Caroline murmured, rubbing the back of her neck as they headed toward the water. "And how are we even crossing  _that_."

"The Danube River," Klaus told her, trying to get a feeling for where precisely they were on the border and how far it would be to the bridge.

"I thought that was in Hungary?" she frowned, still looking out at the water.

"It's one of the longest rivers in Europe. Goes through quite a number of countries and tells me we're at the border between Romania and Bulgaria." There were other possibilities but considering the direction he'd taken them it should have been Bulgaria.

"I seriously need to study the European map more," Caroline muttered. "But no really, we're just gonna run?"

"Not quite my preferred method of travel but it'll get us to Greece fastest. We'll stop for a pick me up part way through Bulgaria," Klaus informed her, watching her frown at that as she understood his meaning.

"I'm guessing this would be one of those times where blood bags won't be an option?" She sighed and Klaus tilted his head, watching her carefully. "How are we crossing?"

"We should hit a bridge in a few miles," Klaus told her, waiting to see if she was ready to start moving again. It was never all that easy the first time to exert that much energy. He remembered how winded he and siblings had felt before getting used to running long distances.

"Let's get on with this then," Caroline murmured, starting to run again. Klaus followed suit, flashing off with her toward where the bridge should be.

He was startled when he felt her hand grab his, entwining their fingers together. He stared at their hands for a long moment, forcing his body to keep moving, and grinned as she squeezed his hand.

Once again Caroline had taken a step forward, initiating contact, and Klaus Mikaelson knew that once this Silas business was through he would never be able to let her go. Now if only he could figure out how to convince her to want to stay. At least he had a few hours to work out how to do that while they ran through the Bulgarian terrain. He'd go back to figuring out the rest of the map once they stepped foot in Greece. For the next few hours his mind would be working on far more important matters.

 


	25. Chapter 25

_I will destroy you in the most beautiful way possible.—MK Katrina_

* * *

Klaus hadn't been lying when he'd said they would be running the entire way. It was definitely the faster method of travel compared to how the others would be moving, but it had its downfalls. Like the fact that shoes were not meant for this kind of travel—or well the ones she was wearing weren't, Klaus' boots seemed to be doing just fine. Not to mention the whole conversation aspect was severely limited. Klaus probably would have been fine at it since he seemed to find the whole running part to be a breeze and while her body healed quickly, the endless use of her speed was beginning to grow tiring.

The fact that a tree branch or two had also slapped her in the face during their trek really wasn't helping her mood either.

Caroline kept pushing her body though, forcing her legs to keep moving even though it was getting to the point where she was sure she'd end up collapsing at any moment. She wondered how often Klaus had done this throughout the centuries for him to be looking so at ease. She knew his family had been on the run from his father for the bulk of it and cars and planes were a more recent invention so that left traveling by foot, horse or boat most of the time. And considering that on land they were definitely quicker than a horse she had a feeling that his siblings and he had ran like the two of them were currently more times than she'd ever want to try herself.

Klaus squeezed her hand, their signal that they were coming to a halt, and Caroline braced herself for the sudden stop, still getting used to it after traveling so many miles. Her body ached in places she didn't even know could be in pain—which was saying something because she'd been cheerleading or doing gymnastics since she was able to walk.

She looked around, trying to figure out what it was that had Klaus wanting to stop, and spotted the small cottage nestled in the trees up ahead. Smoke rose from the chimney and Caroline could hear people chattering away inside when she focused.

"Time to eat," Klaus told her and she couldn't help but swallow at that.

It'd been one thing back when they'd been in the other forest and the men had already been dead but this…she didn't know if she could do this. Her gums hurt though, aching for the nourishment that she really needed, and the heartbeats of those inside had her stomach twisting with hunger.

"I don't want to kill them," she murmured, not able to look at Klaus, her focus on the house and the woman who was stepping outside with a basket full of wet clothes.

"We won't," Klaus told her, hands rubbing her upper arms before he slipped away toward the woman.

Caroline followed after, watching as the woman froze upon seeing them. It must not have been a common occurrence considering how far into the woods that they lived. Caroline didn't know what Klaus was saying to her, but she could see the compulsion take hold and the woman become compliant within seconds. She was calling a name soon after and a man exited the house who was immediately set upon by Klaus, compulsion once again being used.

"Feed until you start to hear the heartbeat slowing, Caroline," Klaus instructed, beckoning her forward toward the woman who was smoothing her hair back to showcase her neck.

"I know." She had done it before. She'd even managed not to kill the nurse when she'd first turned. The man at the carnival hadn't been so lucky.

Caroline stepped forward, stopping in front of the woman who simply looked ahead, humming a tune she didn't recognize. Klaus must have compelled her not to be afraid and Caroline was grateful for that as she sank her fangs into the woman's neck. She didn't think she would ever be able to describe the satisfaction of having fresh blood flowing down her throat, of tasting it in her mouth, of hearing the pumping of the blood mingled with feeling it's drumming beneath the woman's skin as she drank her fill. The aches in her body were already healed, but the blood acted as nourishment that would allow her to keep going, that reinvigorated her.

She pulled back before the woman's heartbeat slowed significantly, panting slightly because of the taste in her mouth and the smell of the wound. Klaus was behind her, tilting the woman's chin toward him so their gazes locked. He compelled some new instructions and Caroline watched as the man and woman headed into the house.

"What did you say?" Caroline asked, shifting so she could look at Klaus.

That had been a mistake, her body immediately reacting to the fact his hybrid features were still in full bloom, the smeared blood on his lips calling to her. She surged forward, unable to stop her lips from crashing against his, tongue seeking immediate entrance, and groaning as she tasted the lingering blood inside. Her hands were in his hair, on the back of his neck, pulling him closer, needing the distance that was between them to disappear.

It seemed that his body had the same desire, pulling at hers, pressing her flush against him. She'd never be certain how precisely they ended up with her back against a nearby tree and her legs wrapped around his waist as he rocked against her body, his growing erection rubbing  _just right_  and causing her to gasp. His mouth was on her neck, lips, teeth and tongue working to drive her mad, head pressing back against the unforgiving bark to try and give him more access.

Why couldn't she have been wearing a skirt? It would have been so much more conducive to what she wanted to happen than her blasted jeans that were seriously in the way. His teeth scraped against her neck and she clenched her eyes shut, whining at the sensation. Her neck had become incredibly sensitive since she'd turned and it didn't surprise Caroline at all that Klaus would know that and use it to his advantage.

Her jacket had been lost somewhere during their venture to the tree and Klaus' hands were tugging on her shirt, breaking contact with her skin so that he could pull the damn fabric over her head. Caroline helped, lifting her arms and hissing as the bark scraped against her back, the scent of her blood filling the air.

Klaus' eyes grew a darker shade of yellow at that, hips rocking harder into hers and Caroline clung to his shoulders, rolling her hips to meet his, deepening the contact as best they could through the layers of their clothing. They were kissing again within seconds of her shirt being tossed to the side, one of her hands pressing against his neck, trying to draw him even closer as her other arm curled around his shoulders.

He had one arm locked around her, helping to keep her upright, the other snaked between their bodies, palming her bra covered breasts, causing her to bite down on his bottom lip, drawing blood. She sucked on it, wanting to devour every last drop before it healed, whimpering as he pulled away, moving to nuzzle her neck instead, even as his hips kept up their movement.

"You're high on blood lust," Klaus murmured against her ear, hand gripping her by the back of her head, tangling in her hair there and holding her in place as he pulled back a little to really look at her.

"I don't care," she told him, continuing to roll her hips against his own, delighting in how the movement caused him to tense, to keep moving his hips as well.

"You will when you come down from it," Klaus warned, watching her face and she just knew he was going to pull away and so she locked her legs around him, trying to hold on. "And the first time I have you will not be hurriedly against some tree because of it."

She was ready to pout, to counter that just because the first time was like that didn't mean the times after couldn't be more long drawn out, when what she'd been about to admit finally caught up with her rational brain. Didn't seem to stop her hips from continuing on as they were and none of the shame she expected, none of the guilt she was so used to experiencing whenever she thought of being with Klaus popped to the surface.

"But I can give you a rather delicious consolation prize," Klaus continued and she wrinkled her nose, trying to figure out what he meant as he arched his neck, exposing his skin. "Drink, Caroline. I will be." His fangs elongated and she couldn't stop hers from doing so as well, feeling his scrape into her shoulder as she latched onto his neck.

The intensity of it, the intimacy of his blood flowing through her as her own flowed through him, mingled with their bodies still rocking against one another, was too much for Caroline and she felt any control that she had shatter into a million little pieces as she pleasure overtook her. Time seemed to stop, her body tensing completely, every inch of her coming to life and vibrating in a way she'd never felt before. She clung tightly to him no longer tasting his blood, crying out instead. His hips stilled their movements while he licked away the last few drops of blood as she kept her face buried in his neck.

Klaus' hands ran soothingly along her back as she leaned into him. He murmured words in a language she didn't understand, but they helped her come down off of her high. Klaus set her down, watching her carefully and Caroline could see the wariness in him, no doubt waiting to see how badly she would react to what had just happened.

"Can you give me my shirt? You're kinda closer to it." She pointed to right behind him, smiling, and saw him relax some at that. She couldn't help but roll her eyes as he looked her over while handing her back her shirt and then her jacket though.

"Ready to keep on running?" Caroline asked, holding out her hand to him once she was dressed and her hair wasn't too tangled.

She expected him to take hold of her hand like the last time, to see that goofy smile on his face at her initiating more contact, not for him to pull her to him, for him to kiss her with an intensity that had her toes curling. It wasn't hard, it wasn't soft either. It was like a promise of everything that was to come, of all that he had to offer her, and while her head, heart and hormones were all on very differing levels in regards to Klaus, she kissed him back with the same intensity.

Caroline didn't quite know what she was doing, except that she couldn't play with his feelings in regards to her any longer. She couldn't use those feelings, those longings to help her friends out as she had done in the past. She also didn't want to deny her own desires either, to push down how Klaus was able to make her feel; to ignore how much he truly did seem to care for her. He'd gotten through her walls, chipped them away until they crumbled to dust, unable to be rebuilt.

She couldn't offer forever, she didn't even know if she could offer a year or what exactly she wanted beyond the fact that she didn't want to hide how she felt. Maybe that would change, it wasn't exactly out of the realm of possibility considering what else had altered, but if nothing else she felt as though it would be okay to give Klaus a chance. Just like he'd asked all those months back when she'd been playing her distraction part.

"Ready?" she asked again when they broke apart, smiling when his hand found hers. He was watching her, looking for something, and he must have found it because he smiled, free hand caressing her cheek.

"Oh yes," Klaus replied before tugging her to start moving, flashing them forward.

Caroline swallowed, not entirely sure what she'd asked him if he was ready for—simply running didn't seem quite right—but certain that she was going to enjoy finding out.

* * *

One of the main driving factors for finally getting to Greece and putting Silas down for Bonnie now was that it would get Kol Mikaelson  _out of her life_. She'd been so sure that the reason Klaus had placed Kol with her and Lucy was as punishment for the freezing spell. His constant annoyance and ability to pop up when she was trying to concentrate was obviously supposed to drive her mad—which was definitely working. Except she was also coming to realize that Kol knew more about witchcraft than she did, than maybe even her Grams ever had.

"You're not concentrating," Kol chided as he leaned forward, spinning the empty bottle of vodka on the table in front of them.

"How am I supposed to concentrate when you keep trying to distract me?" she snapped, causing the glass to stop moving. Unfortunately she used a little too much pressure with the spell and caused it to shatter in front of them.

"Are you under the impression that whoever is helping Silas will simply sit around quietly while yout two perform this spell?" Kol asked, and she hated how right he was about that. No doubt she would be in the middle of chaos when she was supposed to be reiterating the words, which was why she was trying to memorize them in the first place. Books had a way of getting lost in the fray and then what would they do? "You need to be able to say them regardless of what is happening around you. In spite of what might be thrown at you or how they might be hurting your friends—though, I doubt you need to worry about Caroline. Klaus doesn't take kindly when others try to take what's his."

Bonnie narrowed her eyes at that, hating that Caroline was with Klaus and that anyone was associating her friend with being that monster's anything. "Don't look so glum, darling," Kol continued a smug smile plastered on his face. "She'll be the most well protected vampire to ever roam the Earth. She'll truly get forever instead of a paltry hundred years or so that the majority of the riffraff manage."

Was that really supposed to make her feel better, because he was definitely missing his mark? "Don't get me wrong, there's always those outliers like Vincent who manage to live for hundreds of years, some nearly as long as us Originals like dear old Mary before I had to end her—pity that, she always so much fun to have a go with. But the majority of vampires don't make it past two will get to see the rise and fall of civilizations all the while being adored by my brother."

The glasses behind them in the bar they'd set up in shattered and Kol smirked, obviously enjoying the reaction he was getting. "Kol, do stop trying to deliberately rile Ms. Bennett," Elijah admonished from one of the back tables where he sat with Vaughn and Lucy.

"The spell I did should shield us from prying eyes and keep people out of here until we can board the plane, but every spike of magic she does alerts other magic users to our presence," Lucy pointed out, and Bonnie sighed at that, remembering their last encounter with other witches only hours before.

She did not want that happening again. She didn't want any more needless death…even if those witches had chosen their side, decided to follow Silas for probably more hopes of power, falling into the dark path that Valerie had embarked on ages ago. She'd seen how twisted that woman had become. There was probably no stopping her from seeking to raise Silas until the immortal was dead and the possibility to gain anything died with him.

"Spoil all my fun," Kol sighed, even pouted and Bonnie rolled her eyes at him, hoping it would at least get him to shut up for five minutes. "Do you know who you're going to call upon?"

"What?" Oh. Right. Calling upon other witches' spirits would probably be the best course of action to gather her more strength. "My bloodline probably. Those who's magic wasn't broken." If the Spirits allowed her to do so. They'd given her access to her magic again though so it stood to reason that they would allow her now since they wanted Silas dead too.

"And then have it stripped from you once you've done what the Spirits want?" Kol asked, voicing her darkest fears. What would stop them from doing just that? They'd already done it once.

"Can't call on my own inner strength and I'm not sacrificing anyone." They'd cleansed her of Expression for a reason.

"Of course not. But all those witches did die and their magic is lost to the spirits right now, simply floating along in the world, waiting to be linked again," Kol replied, and she stated at him, wondering why she hadn't thought of that.

Oh right.

Because it'd be impossible to do.

"It'll take centuries for that to ever happen," Bonnie reminded, turning her attention back to the spell she needed to memorize.

"Well, it  _would_ , if you didn't have the spell needed to speed up that process and give you access to all of that," Kol told her, his voice entirely too jovial for her liking, even if what he'd said _would_  be a huge help.

"And you just happen to know what that spell is?" Bonnie asked, not quite believing it.

"I do." Of course he did.

"How?" Because she wasn't about to simply trust that he was telling the truth.

"I used it once as a boy. Gained quite a bit of power from witches who were stripped of their magic and it was released into the world," Kol told her, his grin only seeming to grow.

Bonnie simply stared at him, refusing to believe the implications of what Kol was telling her, but she knew how powerful his mother had been. There was simply no way that type of power wouldn't have been passed down to her children as well and then died once they were turned into vampires. No wonder he seemed to know so many little tricks of the trade if he'd been a witch at some point as well.

"And you're willing to share it?" Bonnie asked, watching him carefully.

"Remember, darling, I want Silas dead as well," Kol pointed out as he leaned back in his chair and glanced at the book before her. "Focus on this one, memorize it, and I'll go over the other one on the plane. We'll do it once we land in Greece before meeting up with the others."

"Giving me that much power can have dire consequences," Bonnie reminded, knowing that no witch should ever have too much at their disposal. It seemed to only twist them.

"Good thing I know the reversal then," Kol replied as he rose. "But enough talk. Study up. We have a plane to catch soon and I'm in need of a bite."

Bonnie pressed her lips together at that, not even trying to hide her disgust as Kol left the bar they were occupying and headed out into the airport terminal. Lucy sat down in the spot he'd vacated, watching her, looking more concerned than Bonnie liked to see. "Careful, cuz. Vampires don't share information like that without expecting something in return."

The question was  _what_ in the world Kol could possibly even want from her. But if it would help take Silas down and get their lives back to normal, or as close to normal as they could get, Bonnie would do whatever it took, no matter the price she might need to pay.

* * *

The small cafe was bustling with service, patrons chattering inside and outside with a spectacular view of the Aegean sea behind them. Words were being thrown about in a mingling of languages, tourists and locals commenting on the beauty before them as they took a break from the bustling streets. Klaus' focus was on Caroline, watching her take in everything as they sat, waiting for the others to rendezvous.

Greece suited her, the beaches and culture more akin to her than the darker tones of Romania, a nice respite from the last few days when they had been surrounded by nothing but trees. He could wax poetically about the different ways the sun shone on her hair, the cascading beauty of her eyes set against the colors of the sea, but it was her infectious grin as she took in everything that he couldn't look away from.

She'd been so guarded when they were in Amsterdam, barely allowing her gaze to take in the city, to talk with him about what she was seeing and feeling for the first time. Those walls were gone, replaced by her inquisitive nature, her thirst to learn more, to do more, to truly experience life.

Mystic Falls would no longer be able to hold her in, to trap her inside the invisible walls that kept her there, dragging her down and stifling her. She'd tasted the world and Klaus knew she wouldn't be able to walk away from it, no matter how much she might have tried before she'd gotten this glimpse.

The world was at stake, his parents on the verge of being forced back into his life, every victory of the last year about to be made moot, but the careful planning was pushed aside for a few more moments to listen to Caroline continue on about all she was seeing.

"If we had to go anywhere to try and save the world, I'm glad it was somewhere sunny," Caroline commented, bringing him back to reality. "And surrounded by beaches. There will be more, right? Cause the coordinates lead to an island?"

"It's located in the group of islands out here known as the Cyclades," Klaus informed her, watching her nose scrunch in thought at that. "Between Folégandros and Sikinos to be precise."

"Isn't that whole area like really big with tourists?" she asked, and he could practically see the wheels in her head turning as she tried to work everything out.

"It is. This is why when our dear departed professor told me where Silas was buried I had my doubts. Compulsion gives more precise answers than torture ever truly will, especially in a man like that who didn't quite care that he would die or not." The belief that he would return once Silas did had made Shane a little harder to break than most humans. The fact his loved ones were already dead didn't help much either.

" _Wait_. Are you saying you've known  _where_  we're supposed to go all this freaking time?" Her annoyance was delightful.

"I had a few more important matters to attend to than simply running off to the location right away," Klaus reminded her, watching Caroline realize that he meant her, that her well-being had trumped an immediate search for the immortal. "I did send some others that I know to look into it." Compulsion was a lovely thing to see that long distance matters were appropriately taken care of. "Three of the ventures came back empty handed; telling me there was nothing but open water. The other two were never heard from again."

He watched Caroline's face go through a myriad of emotions, from confusion to determination to realization. "Can magic like cloak a place?"

"I've seen it before. Witches generally do not want simply anyone to find what they've hidden. They leave maps or keys to access it—like our Hunter's Mark. Some may accidentally stumble upon it for one reason or another, though usually they're unable to leave unless they can be of assistance to the witch's spell." Or in Shane's case, to Silas' will. "Knowing the location without the map coupled with our desire to end Silas' existence would have rendered the information useless."

"But now we have a Hunter with the actual completed map so we'll be able to find it. Why didn't the Spirits just tell Bonnie about it?" Caroline leaned back in her chair, frowning slightly.

Klaus' attention was on her lips a beat too long and he smirked when she tapped the table, obviously wanting him to focus on the question. "There are limits to what the Spirits are able to do. Qestiyah performed quite a bit of dark magic with Silas to create the immortality spell and the cure, no doubt to trap him and cloak the island as well. I doubt she would have wanted them to meddle in her affairs."

"So you just had groups of people like go search out an island for you  _knowing_  that they might not make it back alive?" There was no admonishment to her tone; it was more like she was trying to talk it all out.

"They owed me." Klaus doubted any of them would have seen it that way but it was done. No use crying over what had happened. "I see no reason to regret ensuring that our trip to the same island won't also end in disaster." Better for them to have died or vanished than himself, Caroline or his family.

"Just how many scenarios do you even have going on in your head at once?" Caroline muttered lips twisting as he watched her fight an internal battle between being angry and also impressed.

She was a planner at heart, knew precisely what it meant to need to orchestrate a big occasion, all of the different plans and strategies that rolled around in one's head while trying to figure out what  _could_ possibly go wrong and strategizing so that it wouldn't. Give her a century and Klaus had no doubt that she'd become an invaluable strategist, her mind and skills surpassing those older than her.

"What kind of scenarios are we talking about, darling?" Kol's voice rang out from behind him, and Klaus grimaced at the arrival. He'd thought they had another hour at least before either group caught up to them. Traffic must have been better than usual. "Ones with you beneath the sheets? Though you seem like a bit of an exhibitionist. Doubt you'd enjoy being covered up when the—"

Klaus grabbed his brother by the throat, yanking him down to eye level. "Enough, Kol."

"Oh come now, Nik. She'll have to get used to me if you're to be following her around for the next few centuries," his brother taunted, pushing him away as he sat down on one of the other chairs around their table. "We're a bit of a package deal, us Mikaelsons. Not entirely with you 24/7—though that might be a bit hard for poor Rebekah—but we tend to pop up now and then."

"Not if you're daggered," Klaus muttered but Kol simply tsked.

"Again with the dagger threats. You really need new material," Kol shook his head.

"Where's Bonnie?" Caroline asked, glancing around the cafe to try and find the witch.

"Up there getting some food with her cousin and the Hunter. Needs a bit more than the coffee that you two are so thoroughly enjoying. But I'm guessing you had a  _bite_  to eat already, hmm?" Kol grinned, and Klaus watched Caroline roll her eyes as she rose, heading over to join her friend who was indeed in the line to order. "Oh dear. Did I strike a nerve?"

The urge to take one of the utensils from another table and slam it into his brother's thigh was overwhelming but Klaus kept his annoyance in check. Causing a scene wouldn't be a good idea right then, not when they were so close to their destination. The last thing they needed was for Silas' followers to attack or for Silas to manipulate the minds of those around them.

"Did you manage to help the Bennett witch or not?" Klaus asked, focusing on what he needed to learn instead.

"She knows the spell by heart now. Even when distracted," Kol told him, and Klaus would have left it at that but the way Kol's lips pursed in barely contained amusement had him knowing there was more to the story. "Also helped her up her power level, got her all of the loose magic that turning those witches set loose into the world."

Ah.

Well now, that was definitely interesting. "Tell me how proud you are of me," Kol suggested, and Klaus reached over, clasping a hand to his brother's shoulder.

"Don't mess it up," Klaus warned instead, not surprised when Kol sank back a bit, shaking his head.

"Your faith in me is astounding, Nik," Kol chided, leaning back against the chair, arms stretching out to rest on the back of it.

Klaus' reply was a simply pointed look. How many times had his brother's impulsive, reckless tendencies gotten them all into trouble over the centuries? Ruined plans decades in the making because of his boredom? He knew that Kol wanted Silas destroyed as much as the rest of them but that didn't mean his younger brother would be playing by anyone's rules.

"So where's Bekah and the others?" Kol asked steering the conversation to more neutral territory as the others headed over to them. "I expected them to be here before us since they were only lugging around the objects."

"We're meeting them at the boat I secured," Klaus replied, motioning for everyone to stay standing and exit the cafe. "Figured you lot might need some food before we start the last part of our trek."

The group headed out of the building and down the sidewalk that led toward the marina the boat was docked at. He watched Caroline animatedly catch up with Bonnie as they walked; knowing the likelihood that she'd be taking his hand again anytime soon was incredibly slim. She turned to look back at him, offering up a smile, before continuing to speak to the witch. Bonnie's tightened fists as she noticed what Caroline had done were more amusing than anything.

Elijah coming to walk beside him was considerably less so.

Klaus wasn't entirely certain if his older brother's lack of comment was a good thing or not though.

* * *

Sure enough Rebekah and the others were already at the boat, getting it ready to sail and stowing away the objects needed for the spell to take Silas down as well as any necessities that might be needed just in case they got stuck. Caroline headed onto the upper deck, gazing out at the expansive sea beyond the other boats docked at the marina, trying to take it all in before the boat would start moving. Not that she was sure the monstrosity they were on qualified for simple 'boat' status. They were heading to a secret island, not taking a lengthy vacation trip, so she didn't really understand the need for the extravagance that she saw there.

Though maybe it had more to do with space than anything else. There were a lot of them headed to the island from the original group, not to mention the handful of lackeys she'd seen mulling about below and at the helm of the yacht. Klaus was speaking to them in what she thought was Greek but she couldn't exactly be sure, not really having ever known anyone who spoke the language.

Latin was one thing, but even that had been for the SATs and Bonnie with her spell casting. It wasn't like she heard it day in and day out. Definitely not at all like her high school French classes that she was pretty sure she didn't really remember anything from except for some very basic phrases. But the other vampires, including Stefan, were all able to rattle off more than just phrases, the Mikaelsons' even able to mimic some of the accents.

Was this something she'd be able to do in a century? Would it even take that long? Maybe after a few decades she'd have a few languages under her belt. Especially if Klaus and she stayed in countries for a lengthy period of time before moving onto their next destination.

Caroline froze as she realized just where her thought process had been going, how she'd been envisioning the future in those last few moments, and it shook her to the very core. She turned quickly away from watching the others, her vision not really locked on anything specific as she gazed back out at the water, hands tightly gripping the side of the yacht.

"You look like you've seen a ghost, Care," Bonnie told her as she leaned against the railing as well.

"No. No ghosts today," Caroline assured, trying to appear perfectly okay and not showcase the turmoil that was happening inside of her. Bonnie simply watched her, waiting, because if there was one thing Caroline wasn't the greatest at all the time, it was keeping things inside.

Unless she didn't want to burden others. Then she could try and clamp it all down tightly. But that was usually after someone else's betrayal. Like when she'd been tortured by werewolves the first time and Tyler had simply stood by for far too many seconds before doing anything. If it hadn't been for Stefan bringing Elena and Bonnie over she wouldn't have filled them in on what had happened that night and simply dealt with it all herself.

"Do you ever come to see people in not exactly a new light because god it's so the same light but…I don't know. The world just suddenly isn't as black and white as you tried desperately to make it be," she continued, not able to look at Bonnie any longer as the boat started to move.

Caroline didn't want to see the realization and disappointment she was sure her friend would have. She could already feel the tension surround the two of them at her small confession. "You won't think like that once this is all over and you don't  _have_  to be around him 24/7," Bonnie assured her, but that didn't help squash any of Caroline's ruminations. "They're all larger than life. I think it's reasonable to be a little conflicted when they're the only ones you've been able to talk to. When he's kept you isolated from everyone else. It'll be different when we're back in Mystic Falls. With prom and graduation. I'm thinking we can look past some compulsion to keep our records okay for the last few weeks."

Back in Mystic Falls.

At one point it was all Caroline had wanted. She'd fought so hard to be able to get back there and away from Klaus. But now…

"I don't want to go back." The thought of being stuck in Mystic Falls after having glimpsed the world made her stomach churn.

The only reason she'd ever want to step foot back in that town was because of her mother and Caroline was kind of hoping that once she gave Liz her memories back that she wouldn't want to hightail it back to Virginia. And if she did…well. She could always visit a lot, couldn't she? It wasn't like she could stay there forever. Not with how young she looked.

"You don't mean that, Care," Bonnie started, reaching over to touch Caroline's shoulder. "You'll think differently once we've won and Silas is gone."

"And if I don't?" Caroline looked over at Bonnie, so much left unspoken with that simple question. Would Bonnie still accept who she was, would she still be her friend even if she didn't agree with her life choices?

She could see the struggle Bonnie was going through to not judge in that moment, to not try and talk some sense into her, and also that her friend was still holding onto the belief that she  _would_ change her mind once it all ended. "Then I expect calls and texts daily," Bonnie replied before her eyes widened in surprise. "Oh my god. Is that Elena?"

"What?"

How in the world could Elena even be in Greece? Wasn't she doing freaky vampire killings in the States? Caroline turned, following Bonnie's gaze over to the boat navigating another pathway through the marina toward the open sea. Sure enough there was Elena Gilbert with some men that she'd never seen before. One of them clearly had the Hunter's map on his upper torso though.

"Do we shout for her?" Caroline asked, looking frantically over at Bonnie. Was that wise to do considering what they knew Elena was supposed to have been up to?

She certainly didn't look like she'd lost her mind. More like she was enjoying herself on the upper deck of the yacht with a drink in her hand. "No. Definitely don't shout," Bonnie murmured and Caroline turned back around, motioning for Klaus to head over to them. "Oh my god. Caroline. Look."

Caroline turned back, freezing at the sight that greeted her.

There on the other deck was Tyler Lockwood.

Before everything had started the sight of him would have terrified and elated her all at once. Terrified because he was much too close to Klaus, even with all that water between them, and elated because she'd desperately wanted to see him again. But she'd realized so much over the weeks, been able to think clearly about some things and the elation that should have come was replaced by a sadness that she couldn't quite define.

It seemed that wasn't the case for Tyler who'd spotted her and Bonnie as well. "Caroline!' he called out, big smile forming on his face as he waved over at her.

Elena looked over at them as well but her expression was more fear turned before a calculating gaze seemed to settle in her eyes. Tyler's expression darkened though, hybrid features coming out as he headed toward the edge of his boat. "Get the hell away from her."

Caroline didn't know what he was talking about at first but then she could feel Klaus' presence behind her, taking in the scene and the tension only magnifying as he realized what was happening. "I have no time for your histrionics, Tyler, nor do I want to know how you've come across your own Hunter, but know that if you get in my way that I will not hesitate to rip out each and every one of your hearts. Except yours of course." He looked over at the Hunter who was watching them. "I'll just compel one of them to do that bit."

Klaus turned, nodding for the Captain to speed up and get them away from the other vessel. They needed to get to the island before the others. No doubt that lot didn't realize all that was at stake. "Cloak the damn boat," Klaus snapped, and Lucy jumped into action, chanting a spell that would apparently shield them from other's view.

"It's going to be okay, Caroline," Tyler's voice echoed over the waves for a moment, his voice getting harder to hear the further their boat sped away. "I'll get you back. I have a plan."

Caroline closed her eyes at that.

Tyler's plans never seemed to go all that well and she didn't want him to have one for her, not when she finally thought she was realizing where she wanted to be. She also didn't want him anywhere near where they were currently. That couldn't end well for anyone, certainly not Tyler and the rest of his crew.

"I don't think that was Elena, Caroline," Bonnie murmured to her before she had time to process the rest of it.

Oh great. Just what they needed. Throwing Katherine Pierce into the mess was just asking for everything to explode. "We'll figure this out," Caroline replied before turning to look over at the others, her gaze resting on Klaus.

His expression was unreadable, body tense and looking ready to pounce on the first person he deemed out of line. It seemed that she wasn't the only one adept at putting up walls to guard her heart. "You don't owe him anything," Bonnie told her as she touched her arm, trying to get Caroline to turn back, to ignore Klaus.

It'd be so easy to do so, to fall back into the old routines, but she couldn't do that any longer. Too much had transpired over the last few weeks and while she didn't love Klaus, Caroline did realize that she  _cared._ Maybe that was a betrayal to her friends, to Tyler, to care about the man who'd made their lives hell, who'd hurt them all in so many different ways, but pushing down how she felt was a betrayal to herself and one Caroline couldn't quite stomach any longer.

Klaus was near the back of the boat, looking ready to toss one of the staff overboard or rip into their neck with careless abandon, and she headed over. He stiffened upon her approach, the lackey taking that moment to slip away unharmed. Caroline could practically see Klaus trying to come up with some verbal lashing, to cut at her before she could cut him with her words.

"I don't want to go back to Mystic Falls," she started before he could get a word out, watching him consider her carefully, not quite letting down his guard but she saw that lingering hope. "I am not saying that I…I don't know. I just know I don't want to go back there and not just because I need to like get my mother and compel her to remember everything—which is like number one on my to-do list. But I don't want to return to Virginia like apparently everyone else is expecting me to do."

Not that she could blame them for that assumption. After all, she'd been trying her hardest to do just that at the beginning. "Then what do you want, Caroline?" he asked, still warily watching her.

This was a big step. It was one thing to think everything she had been and another to let it all out, to verbalize it so he'd be privy to her thoughts as well. She wasn't stupid, she knew if she gave him an inch that he'd try for a mile, but maybe she  _wanted_  him to take that mile.

"I want to see the world. I want to see it properly and not because we're like running from witches or trying to find artifacts or anything like that. I want to really be able to soak it all in and learn a million different languages and people watch and taste so many different kinds of food and drink a whole bunch of wine and just experience it all," she told him, watching the tension seem to ease out of him a bit, even if he still remained guarded.

"Of course you do. You're not meant to be stifled as you are," Klaus replied, and she wasn't surprised that he equated her hometown with holding her back.

"And I'd like to see it with you," she continued, watching as his lips curled into one of the happiest smiles she'd ever seen. "I'm  _not_  saying that I want to like—this isn't a forever promise, okay? This is a 'hey I think I would like to actually take that chance on you' thing."

"Perhaps its not yet such a promise but I must say the odds are certainly stacking up in my favor. I have time and patience on my side" Klaus replied, and she rolled her eyes at that, not surprised at all by the smugness in his voice or the fact his smile had so easily turned into a smirk.

Time was something they had in abundance and patience, well; he had managed to wait for a thousand years to break his curse. Though…it wasn't so much like he'd  _wanted_ to wait that long…

"Like I said,  _no promises_ ," she reminded.

"Not yet," Klaus grinned and she shook her head at him, knowing she'd been right about that mile.

"We've got another problem," Bonnie called out, breaking the moment between them and the two hurried over to where she was still standing. Now she was pointing toward another boat that was gaining distance. "If my eyes aren't playing tricks on me through these binoculars, Valerie is on that one. As in the woman who tried to get me to continue on with Expression and I have a feeling is in deep with the Silas cult. I'm pretty sure she's the ring leader."

Klaus was back to barking orders, telling the Captain to speed up, demanding the others get the artifacts ready for the trek across the island to wherever Silas might be located. Vaughn remained at the helm, the map on his chest almost seeming to become more defined as the boat sped through the water.

A coastline could be spotted in the distance with her enhanced vision, beautiful white sands beckoning them to come out and play. Behind them the sound of at least two more boats could be heard, all heading to the same destination, all probably wanting very outcomes to the current predicament.

"I hope you know what you're doing," Bonnie muttered and Caroline sighed, hearing the judgment in her friend's tone.

What was the point of living forever if she didn't take a chance every now and then?

But that was a conversation for another day because once they set foot onto the land; Caroline had a feeling everything was going to get very messy.

 


	26. Chapter 26

_During the day, memories could be held at bay, but at night, dreams became the devil's own accomplices.― Sharon Kay Penman_

* * *

Klaus had split up the group before they'd even set foot on the island. The map only gave the location of the island; it didn't say where on it they would find Silas' final resting place. No one even had a clue what it looked like. Shane's interrogation from a few weeks ago had wielded nothing about that and even Vaughn had no idea what they would be stepping into. There were no houses on this one like the other Cyclades islands, and even the landscape of it seemed slightly different than the rest of them. There were still the glistening beaches and the steep, rocky inclines, but the depth of the forest covering the island far surpassed any of the others. Perhaps it was because no one had ever inhabited this one as they had with most of the others, but it could also be to make it more difficult to locate the tomb, the result of a spell.

The majority of the group stayed together, needing to protect Bonnie and Lucy so they could perform the ritual to destroy Silas while also looking for where to go. Rebekah and Stefan had set out to the west, while Klaus and Caroline had set out to the east, all agreeing on a signal to get the others attention if they found the location.

It wouldn't be long for Tyler's boat to also arrive and Klaus had a feeling there might be others trying to head to the location as well. At least two other Hunters were out there in the world with completed maps and it wouldn't surprise him if some of Silas' followers were able to get one of them on their side. Unlike Vaughn, Eddie and Connor had not known a thing about what was happening to them when they'd been activated. Most likely whoever else had been activated wouldn't have known much of what was happening either and worked with the first person who was able to give them even a little information.

It was the only explanation he could come up with for any Hunter being with Tyler Lockwood. The boy was still a problem, one that would soon be on the island and Klaus doubted that he knew a thing about what they were truly doing. The Lockwood boy probably had his sights on the cure, most likely wanted to use it to either free himself of his curse or to shove it down Klaus' own throat and destroy him. He would continue to be a problem as long as he lived, revenge apparently the only thing on his mind.

As much fun as driving the boy insane might have been, having him wander around, never quite sure when his death would happen, it was becoming apparent that Tyler Lockwood needed to die. He'd be a pesky nuisance that could turn into a threat with enough time if allowed to continue to live. Tyler wasn't like Katerina who might egg on plans to kill him but would flee when the danger became too much. No, Tyler would see it through to the very end and continue poking at him until the bitter end.

And Klaus was hardly going to endure such behavior while showing Caroline the world.

Klaus glanced over at Caroline who was moving through the woods beside him, her gaze flicking about as they walked, trying to find anything that could be a sign for where they needed to be. She was a reason for the Lockwood boy to get a swift death and also the very reason he couldn't put the boy out of his misery.

She might have asked to travel the world with him, stated that she wanted to give him a chance, but Klaus had a feeling that as soon as he sliced the boy's head from his body that those plans would evaporate before the appendage ever touched the ground.

The two stopped moving as they neared the edge of a cliff that led only to the sea below. "So not this way," Caroline murmured nodding back toward the woods they'd just vacated. "Want to try that way?"

The cracking of twigs underfoot had the both of them snapping around, Klaus moving to stand in front of her, ready to take down whatever threat might be headed toward them. A small lizard crept out of the woods towards the rocky base and Caroline eased up behind him but Klaus kept his gaze locked on the area before them, certain someone was still watching them.

"Klaus?"

He despised the magic that seemed to engulf the island, setting him completely on edge. Too close a reminder to his mother and the possibility of her returning to wreak havoc on his life all over again. "Let's try that way," he replied, nodding for her to move forward.

They continued on for a few more minutes, listening to the sounds of the waves crashing against the rocks in one direction while the other carried the sound of the wind whipping through the dense forest. Caroline stopped moving in front of him and he nearly slammed into her, wondering what had her stopping so suddenly.

A skeleton lay in the underbrush, tattered clothing still attached to bits of it, various roots having grown through its bones and trapping it against the ground. It was the ones that wound around his wrists and ankles that Klaus paid the most attention to, wondering if those had occurred before or after his death.

"We already knew that there were people who had never made it off this island, Caroline," he pointed out even as he placed a soothing hand on her back to try and steer her away from the scene. There would be a few he knew trapped somewhere on the island, though he had a feeling none of them had survived too long after setting foot on the beach.

"Get your hands off of her!" Tyler's voice rang out from behind them and Klaus couldn't help but smirk as Caroline actually took a step closer to him as they turned to face the Lockwood boy.

His hybrid features were showing, rage seeming to spill off of him, as he looked at the two of them. The others were standing near Tyler though Klaus noted that at least two were not with him. The Hunter was though and Klaus tapped Caroline's shoulder and nodded toward that one, wanting her to know not to engage him. The last thing he wanted was for Caroline to experience the Hunter's Curse.

"I believe you'll come to find that Caroline quite enjoys my hands on her," Klaus replied, not bothering to keep the smugness out of his voice, deliberately taunting the boy. This needed to be dealt with now so they could continue on. Tyler Lockwood was not allowed to ruin all of the steps they'd gone through to stop Silas.

His hand moved from her back to curl around her waist, pulling her back against him, fingers inches away from her chest. "Klaus," she admonished, and he could smell her fury with him but it was Tyler's rage that had his interest for the moment.

She elbowed him, trying to step forward to no doubt try and soothe the boy's anger, to explain things, but Klaus wasn't allowing her anywhere near him or the others. He kept his arm locked around her, noting the two who'd been missing from the group moving to the sides of him, looking for an in to attack.

"Just leave, Tyler. This isn't your fight," Caroline tried, but it seemed to have no effect on anyone. "You don't even know what's going on really, do you?"

"We know about the cure," one of the others piped in and Klaus tsked at the confirmation that they were utterly useless.

"That's not all this is," Caroline tried again, but it was obvious that none of them cared about any other details from their stiffening posture.

"That's the part that matters," Tyler replied, his gaze locked on what Klaus' hands were doing, expression darkening as the smell of their mingled scents finally hit him. It was more than the simple mixing because of close proximity. This was what happened after intimacy, after skin touching skin for a lengthy period of time over several instances. "Caroline?"

Klaus knew what the boy was figuring out even if she didn't, and he simply smirked, enjoying the realization that was sweeping over the young Lockwood. There was no point in beating around the bush anymore.

"Come now, Caroline. Why keep him in the dark from your awakenings of the last few weeks?" Klaus urged, watching the boy's eyes widen at that, enjoying how the anger seemed to change into disbelief. "How you determined what your feelings or lack of them might mean?"

"Tyler," she started, and Klaus knew she'd probably be furious with him for days but he'd course correct later on.

"She doesn't love you," Klaus continued, feeling her tense in his arms. Oops. "Not quite in love with me either." But there was still plenty of time for that to happen.

The shock on the Lockwood boy's face was well worth the anger he'd be on the receiving end of from Caroline, or so Klaus told himself. Tyler stared at Caroline, trying to find signs that Klaus was lying, searching for a truth he desperately needed to see. There was none though, just an apologetic look from Caroline.

"Tyler, it's not…" she started, trying to come up with any way to make what was happening better. There was none though. How could  _I don't love you_  ever be told in a good way? Especially when in the next step she was giving a chance to the man who'd murdered his mother. There was no way to make this right. "This isn't how I wanted to tell you…"

"Tell me what, Caroline?" Tyler demanded, the hurt obvious in his voice, but it was the way his eyes narrowed, the yellow in them standing out even more that had Klaus' arm tighten around Caroline. "Did you even mean any of what you said back then? When you had me leave? Or did you just need me out of there so you said what you could so I'd be gone and you could start fucking him without feeling guilty?"

Caroline flinched as if she'd been physically hit. "It wasn't like that."

"Doesn't change the fact that I can smell him all over you and you all over him," Tyler shouted. "I was coming here to save you. To save  _us._  To give us a chance at normal again. To make sure _he_  couldn't hurt anyone ever again." Klaus wasn't sure who the boy was more furious with in that moment, the hate in his eyes seeming to be directed at both of them. "But as far as I'm concerned you can die with him now."

"All I needed to know," Klaus murmured, pushing Caroline back as the two werewolves leapt out of the woods, ready to drive spears through the two of them.

Klaus grabbed onto one of the spears, using it to throw the man who'd been holding it toward the others, knocking them down before driving it through the one still coming at him. He didn't hesitate, didn't stop moving for a moment as he sliced through the group, removing heads with a thrust, snapping necks, and pinning the Hunter to a tree with a spear in his hand before knocking him unconscious. It wouldn't kill him but it'd incapacitate him long enough to deal with the last one standing.

Tyler.

The boy rushed him and Klaus laughed, easily shoving him into a tree. The boy might have been faster and stronger than the others, but he was still no match for the one who'd sired him. He had one arm pressed against the boy's windpipe, his other hand pushing into his chest.

" _Stop!_ " Caroline screeched, and it shouldn't have mattered, he should have continued on with his hand, should have pulled out the boy's heart and watched the life seep out of his eyes, but he didn't. Not yet. "Please, Klaus. Don't do this."

"He was ready to kill you," Klaus reminded, fingers wrapping around the boy's heart. He'd already killed how many who'd dared try their hand at that, why was this one any different?

"He's hurting," Caroline told him, coming to stand beside him, hand touching his shoulder. "He doesn't mean it."

"I'll never stop coming for you and your family. I'll hunt you to the ends of the earth,' Tyler replied, and Klaus arched a brow at that, believing everything the boy was saying. Though his words did have almost a calming effect and part of Klaus wanted to let him go and compel the boy to run and wait for death, for him to roam the world for a few more decades before he did kill him. He even released the boy's heart, patting his healing chest, letting that false sense security build up.

"Can't you compel him to leave and never return, to go live a life somewhere far away and never try to attack us ever again?" Caroline suggested, and Klaus wasn't surprised by that request. She would try to find a way to keep all of them safe. "Compel him and make him leave. There's already been enough damn death."

The venom in the boy's eyes as he looked over at Caroline had her taking a step back though and Klaus pressed his arm tighter against the boy's throat. "I'll fight it. I'll break it like I did the Sire bond and then I'll take everything that you love," Tyler bit out as he looked at Klaus, his words a promise, but it was when he looked at Caroline that Klaus knew the boy was sealing his own fate. "And everything you love too."

"Tyler, you don't mean that," she tried again, but the traces of the boy who loved her had been stamped out in the last few minutes. Her fall off that pedestal he'd kept her on shattering whatever illusions he'd had in his mind and replacing it all with only hate. Maybe eventually the hate would disappear and he'd live again but that might take decades and there were too many people he could hurt in that time.

"Starting with your mom," Tyler continued. She choked back a sob at that, stepping away from the both of them and Klaus looked over at her.

"What will it be, Caroline?" Klaus hoped she'd see reason with her mother being in danger, but he could see the hesitancy in her features, how she wanted the compulsion to happen and not another death.

Tyler took that opportunity with Klaus turning to push as hard as he could, knocking Klaus slightly off balance, enough for him to try and lunge at Caroline. She never got to give her answer and Klaus didn't bother with civility any longer, hand plunging through Tyler's back and ripping out the boy's heart before he ever had a chance to touch her. He let the boy's body slump to the ground, dead.

It should have been a moment of triumph but he simply released the heart and headed over to a sobbing Caroline who looked ready to collapse and pulled her tightly against him. Fingers threaded through her hair as he tried to calm her down, worried that it'd been too much for her to take in and that she'd flip the switch. It was there for moments like this when it was too much for young vampires to handle, to give them a respite from the onslaught of emotions. He didn't want that for her though.

Her arms wrapped around him, clinging tightly to him as she cried. She pushed him away moments later, her cheeks still damp with tears, but there was a fury of confusion and anger in her eyes that was currently being directed at him. "You didn't have to kill him."

Klaus simply arched a brow at her. "He was making a move to harm you."

"You could have snapped his neck," she pointed out, fingers threading through her hair as she turned away from him, emotions still all over the place.

"For how long, Caroline?" he demanded, flashing to stand in front of her. He disregarded her glare. "Just simply compel him here and there as he works to break through it, that hatred in his heart too much to be worked around indefinitely. Snap his neck to incapacitate while I get you to safety and away from his murderous intentions because make no mistake he wanted you dead."

" _Yes_. Over and over and over until it finally got through his head that it wasn't freaking worth it and he finally just went off to live out his life somewhere," she replied, glaring at him, her hands at her sides now and clenched tightly.

Klaus shook his head at her need to think the best, to look for the optimistic outcome. "He never would have," Klaus told her and she started to protest that. "He would have gone for your mother as he said to hurt you, which in turn would have pained me.  _Your mother_ , Caroline."

The wind seemed to seep out of her sails at that, shoulders slumping as another sob wracked through her body. "I will not apologize or regret keeping you safe," Klaus continued, taking a step toward her, hands moving to run up and down her arms when she didn't move away from him.

"We have to bury him properly. He deserves that much," she finally got out after a few moments and Klaus knew then that there would be no flip switching.

He didn't particularly care to dig a grave for the boy in the hard earth, but if it would help Caroline be able to deal with what had just happened, he'd dig a thousand graves. And then they would continue on and deal with Silas.

* * *

It had been easy enough to ditch Tyler and his lot as soon as they'd stepped onto the island. The hybrid was too hell-bent on getting Caroline back—something that Katherine considered to be futile. The girl had looked entirely too comfortable in Klaus' presence, hadn't even bothered to make a show of moving away from him when her supposed boyfriend had spotted them on the other boat. That coupled with what she'd learned from Rebekah and Stefan when she'd been in their company had Katherine convinced that Klaus had managed to get under the baby vampire's skin, and if Klaus had Caroline there was no way in hell he'd be letting her go.

She was not going to die with that lot.

Though moving about the island trying to keep away from the other groups was proving to be not only difficult but rather annoying. She'd seen Bonnie's suspicious gaze when she'd spotted her on the deck of that boat. Even if she could play up the Elena angle for a little bit longer, Katherine didn't want to get shoehorned with them, tied to whatever hair brained scheme they were trying to do. She wanted to zip in, grab the supposed cure to use as leverage, and get the hell off the island. Probably utilizing Tyler's boat. Might as well get a little more use out of the boy.

If she could manage to take Caroline along with her then it'd be a cause for celebration, the perfect leverage to use, but she wasn't enacting that bit of her plan until she had an actual secured way of escape. Just the idea of using Tyler's boat wasn't foolproof enough for her to make such a risky move.

She stopped moving when she heard the crunching of the underbrush in the distance and heard the sound of voices nearing her. Katherine inched back, trying to hide herself from view. The fact that it was Kol and Elijah with the witches and Hunter made that an uneasy task, but she tried to blend in, ready to play the part of a lost Elena if need be.

"You actually worked with witches who knew about the Brotherhood?" Bonnie asked as they drew nearer, and Katherine pursed her lips at that, trying to remember what that bit even meant. There had been so many different threads put into play that keeping up with them all took a moment.

"Not so much worked for them as learned a bit from them," Vaughn replied, cutting through the underbrush as they continued on through the forest. He stopped abruptly; gaze moving across the area in front of him, and Katherine froze when he stopped for a split second on where she was before continuing on.

She thought for a moment that he hadn't noticed her but that glimpse of hope was quickly blotted out of existence by Kol flashing up behind her and lifting her up by the back of her shirt for everyone to see. "So now is this one Elena or Katherine? How do we tell?" His fangs descended. "Does their blood taste different?"

"Kol." Elijah's voice was hard and unrelenting.

"What were you for Caroline's ninth birthday party?" Bonnie demanded, and Katherine wanted nothing more than to wring the witch's neck.

"I'm Katherine," she muttered, knowing there would be no use in trying to answer the question. Like she'd taken the time to learn the intricacies of Elena's friends birthday plans as children. "Now that we've established that you can put me down."

"I dunno," Kol replied, his tone entirely too mirthful for her liking. "I could get on Nik's good side for at least an hour by handing you over for him to torture as he pleases."

Katherine couldn't help the pleading look she directed at Elijah. "Why are you here, Katerina?" he demanded, still stoic as ever but she saw the flash of pain in his eyes as he regarded her. The use of her human name was another sign that he wasn't as detached as he wanted to be either.

She wasn't going to answer that question, didn't want to give Kol more of a reason to hand her over to his twisted brother. "For her own gain, why else would she be here?" Bonnie muttered, and Katherine turned her attention to Lucy.

Lucy who'd been a friend and then had walked away from her, but perhaps that almost friendship would prevail a little. "Don't look at me," the older witch told her with a shrug. "My service to you is beyond done."

"We don't have time for this," Bonnie continued, more irritable than Katherine had ever seen her. Not good.

"I can solve that problem rather easily," Kol pointed out, hand coming around to her chest and fingers biting into her flesh. "Little heart rip and she'll be down for the count. Permanently."

She looked toward Elijah for help one more time. "I won't ask again, Katerina. Why are you here?"

"My freedom," she hissed through the pain. Most didn't take their time when breaking through the chest but Kol was enjoying going slow, making the pain last.

"You'll actually get that if we do this my way," Kol replied and she glared at that, hating that he was right. Freedom from Klaus probably would only come when she died.

"I'll deal with her," Elijah stated and Kol tsked, shaking his head, even as a surge of hope seemed to light through Katherine at that statement.

"If she ruins anything it's on your head, Elijah," Bonnie told him as Kol released his hold on Katherine and headed over to continue on with the rest of the group.

Katherine stared at the elder Original for a long moment as the others left, continuing on their trek to find where Silas rested. "And how were you going to get your freedom?" Elijah asked, and she tensed at the hardness of his voice, the resignedness in his shoulders as he clasped his hands behind his back as he regarded her. "By taking something to use against Klaus? To bargain for your life with someone else's existence?"

She wanted to lie, wanted to tell him no, to think up something that wouldn't disappoint him in that moment, but somehow she knew he wouldn't give her time to do so. "Yes."

Elijah simply nodded before stepping forward, his hands coming to rest on her shoulders. She grew tenser at the contact, but his lips pressed against her forehead and she felt herself relax a little at the touch, guard slipping for a moment. "Goodbye, my Katerina," he murmured, hands coming to her neck and twisting in one swift motion before her entire world went black.

* * *

Everything in the last seventy-five years had been leading up to this moment for Valerie. She'd sacrificed countless people, including her own daughter, to get the power she  _knew_  that she deserved. Killing these last few followers had been nothing but another task, their cries and pleas ignored as she allowed their deaths to bolster her power just that bit more.

They had honestly believed that they would be riding the high with her, that she would allow them all to have a slice of what was to be  _hers_ , and while she'd purposefully cultivated that belief she still couldn't quite understand how they'd thought she wouldn't kill them all in the end. Especially when they had all seen how easily she'd gotten rid of the others along the way. If the betrayal in Nandi's eyes hadn't been able to move her to spare draining bits of her daughter's life to extend her own every year then how could the same look in stranger's eyes garner any kind of sympathy from her?

The barrier spell was in place. She knew the others were on the island. Some actively seeking to stop Silas' rise, others who were mere pawns in the game and didn't quite know what was truly happening. They couldn't interfere now or everything she had done, every sacrifice she had made would be for nothing. The two Bennett witches would no doubt be able to break down the barrier spell once they found it, but Valerie was confident that she would finish her tasks long before those two ever arrived at the location.

Leaving the Hunter on the other side of the barrier, having him work to hunt down the other groups and be away from the slaughter that she'd just orchestrated would hopefully also give her some added time.

The large stone in front of the intricate tomb was easy enough to cast aside and Valerie grabbed the one still barely alive member, dragging her into the darkened interior. The torches that were hung up sparked to life as they passed, the poor girl still pleading for her life, as they descended into the heart of the tomb. Carvings and paintings adorned the walls, no doubt telling the story of Qestiyah and Silas, but she paid little attention to them, following the pathway that Silas had set out in her mind.

In the heart of the tomb was a large ornate slab with what looked like a mummified corpse on top of it. Fear gripped Valerie's heart as she looked at it, wondering if she had been too late. How was she supposed to bring him back from this state with merely the girl and her amplified powers?

Silas' voice twisted inside of her like a dark caress, one that soothed her fears and had her pulling the girl forward. Valerie couldn't even remember her name or where she'd picked this one up from. It didn't matter, she was about to complete her purpose and die like the rest of them had. "You should feel happy," Valerie cooed, drawing the knife out from its case, ignoring the terror that seemed to grow, her grip tightening around the girl. "You'll be the one to awaken him."

She pulled the girl up to the body's head and didn't hesitate, slicing into the girl's neck and letting the blood begin to spill. Nothing happened for a few moments, but once the blood finally started to move down it's throat, its eyes opened as well. A crunching sound followed, echoing throughout the room, and Valerie watched as the body's arm moved, gripping the girl tightly and keeping her in place as he sucked her dry.

His skin began to get life back into it, no longer dry and almost flaking, but now growing to look more like her own. Valerie knelt down, head bowed slightly as he continued to heal, murmuring a healing spell to speed up the process some. The press of a hand against her shoulder startled her and she nearly jumped back, but the hand kept her steadied.

It was Silas, just as he was in her dreams. Dark hair and even darker eyes. "You have done well, Valerie," he told her, though she couldn't be certain if it was in her head or out loud this time, the two seamlessly blending together. "And now you will get your just rewards for all that you have done for me."

Valerie smiled, filling with pride that her endless quest was finally over, that  _now_  she would be bestowed all of the power that was rightfully hers. Everything had been worth it in the end. Perhaps she could even get Nandi back now and have the girl see reason.

Her smile faded quickly though as she realized that Silas was speaking in a language she didn't understand. It wasn't just that which sparked her worry, it was the tension she felt curling inside of her, the loss of all of the power she had gained, as if it was being drained from her. She tried to fight it, to pull away from him, but Silas kept a tight hold on her, keeping her in a kneeling position. Her body began to hurt and it felt as if every part of her was drying up, tightening, and she looked down in horror as her skin began to dry out, coming to look like he had only moments before.

She tried to speak, tried to counter spell whatever he was doing, but nothing would come out, her words dying like ash in her mouth. There was some movement above though, someone walking into the barrier spell she had put up. She had barely felt it, every bit of magic she had being drained from her. "It seems the others will be here to play their part soon enough," Silas murmured, and she despised his voice, the same one that had gotten her through countless nights, urging her on to do his bidding.

It seemed he could still read her thoughts as he smiled down at her. "Qestiyah's greatest folly was her need for love. So easy to exploit to get what I needed," he continued. "Just as yours was your thirst for power. You cannot deny that I gave it to you. That I allowed you to be more powerful than you ever would have been without my tutelage."

But it was obvious now that it had never been hers to keep. He had merely needed it and she had been the tool by which he had gathered it up and gotten it close enough for him to use. She had been such a fool.

_Nandi._

"Do not worry. You will see her again soon." Any hope that she would be able to escape from the situation with her life died with those words.

"Thank you for your service," was the last thing she heard before he took the very last of her, leaving her body nothing more than a shell, her spirit bound for the Other Side.

Valerie tried to latch onto her body, to keep herself on the plane of the living, but it was a useless task. The Other Side pulled at her, forcing her onto its plane, and all of the power she had been privy to was gone, leaving her weak. Nandi was there to greet her, along with the hundreds of others she had used to gain power, and Valerie knew from the hatred she could see in them that her eternity was going to mirror the hell she had put all of them through.

* * *

Traipsing across the island was about the very last thing that Rebekah wanted to be doing. Her entire reason for even wanting to be there had crumbled into dust once she realized how insane an idea becoming human had been. Of course, she didn't want Silas to rise and bring back her parents or the countless others on the Other Side who would want her siblings dead, but knowing that the cure was supposedly on this island with the immortal was hard to deal with.

Her fantasy was still there in the back of her mind. She still longed for the idea in some ways even if she knew it was a foolish one that she'd never truly be able to have. Not to mention she wasn't certain that Stefan had given up on it just yet. No doubt it was still whirling around in his head, a beautiful dream that he could almost taste, and maybe it would be different for him. He hadn't been a vampire as long as she had and it was probably more difficult to give up on the chance to go back to human if he could even vaguely remember what it had been like.

She couldn't, not really. Her glimpses of memories were entirely too altered by the centuries and none of it would ever be the same without her family at her side. And Rebekah was no fool. They would not be. Why would they want to stick around to watch her grow old and die? Not that she'd ever have been able to truly do that, to leave them behind. She couldn't even walk away from them for good now. Even when she was furious with Klaus she'd stuck in the same town with him, been back at his side after another dagger in her heart. It was a cycle that would never end, even if there was an added addition of Caroline at his side. It might alter a little bit, but the basics would forever be there for all of them.

Kol would flounce off to do his own thing every so often, coming back into the fold to cause trouble. Elijah would try to fix things while breaking them more often than actually repairing anything. Klaus would seek out power and loyalty, forever ignoring the fact that he had it from the lot of them. And she would look for love outside of her family. Maybe this time with Caroline in toe, Klaus wouldn't be so quick to kill her lovers. Perhaps having the cheerleader around wouldn't be such an awful thing.

"The barrier surrounds the entire area," Stefan started, breaking Rebekah from her thoughts. "And there's a tomb in there. Couldn't see it from the other side."

She peered through the parting trees, spotting the ancient burial site, and knew that the two of them had found the location. "Rebekah," he continued, and she steeled herself for Stefan to bring up the cure, to try and get her back on board with finding it, using it. "You were right. We're all too damned to ever go back."

She rolled her eyes at that. Stefan Salvatore was much more fun when he wasn't stuck in this depressing mood. "I happen to be right most of the time," she replied before echoing off the call that her brother's would know.

They would get the others to their location and then hopefully Bonnie and Lucy would be able to break down the barrier so they could get inside. She hoped the barrier was a leftover spell from when Qestiyah had placed Silas inside of the building because otherwise that meant someone had gotten there before them. Rebekah doubted it was Tyler and his lot, which meant it would most likely be some members of the Silas cult and that was the last thing they needed to deal with on top of everything else.

Stefan shoved her and she was ready to rip his head off for the move when a wooden stake just missed piercing her skin. She looked over, spotting a man near the tree line, ready to throw more weapons at the two of them. None of them would end up killing her but Stefan was a far more vulnerable target.

"Hunter," Stefan continued, and she spotted the beginnings of the map etched into the man's hand and up what they could see of his arm.

"Didn't you get the memo?" Rebekah inquired, catching the next stake thrown her way. She hissed, realizing it had been soaked in vervain. "We're on your side."

The man didn't reply, simply continued trying to hurt them, to take them down, and she caught the next one, gritting her teeth at the pain before she threw it back at him, impaling his hand. The man dropped to the ground in obvious pain. "I do not have time for this," she started, slamming him down into the ground and making the stake dig into the dirt.

Rebekah took another stake slamming it into the man's other hand and down into the ground, effectively incapacitating him. She knocked him out for good measure. "Why am I not surprised to see that you two so have the same method for dealing with Hunters?"

Was that Caroline?

Rebekah pushed herself up and spotted the girl standing near Stefan and her brother. Klaus simply smirked at her in approval of her methods. "About time someone got here. Don't tell me? Make out session in the forest held you up?"

Klaus and Caroline's demeanors both shifted dramatically and Rebekah knew she'd said the wrong thing. Thankfully Kol and the others appeared at that time, saving her from whatever dramatic response Klaus might have doled out. "Looks like we all had a bit of fun," Kol remarked, pushing at the unconscious man with his foot. "Katherine is somewhere on this island."

Oh joy. Having that one running around was like waiting to get a stake in the back.

"Dead I hope," Klaus replied, and Kol shrugged, nodding over to Elijah who had just arrived.

"You'll have to ask our dear brother. He wanted to deal with her on his lonesome," Kol told them and Rebekah frowned. Elijah wouldn't have been able to drive a stake through that one's heart. No matter how prudent it would be to do so.

"She is incapacitated," Elijah replied. Of course she was. Rebekah shook her head at her brother. If Katherine caused trouble now, Klaus would probably never forgive him.

"So we have her and Tyler to worry about mucking this up?" Stefan asked, trying to figure out who all they needed to look out for. "And whoever this guy was with because it's not the same one Tyler had on his boat."

Though it was possible that they had simply not seen him. "Tyler won't be an issue," Caroline murmured, unable to look at any of them. Stefan made a step toward her, no doubt ready to ask what she meant, but she shook her head, keeping him in his place.

"This is new magic," Lucy murmured, causing all of them to look over at her. Rebekah watched her hand move over the invisible barrier. "We have bigger issues to worry about. Someone deliberately put this up to give them time. It'll take nearly an hour to break this spell."

"No, it won't," Bonnie replied, and the sky above them darkened, wind swirling about before the barrier that Lucy had been touching disappeared.

Rebekah glanced over at Kol, having only seen such a spike in power once before. Her brother's responding smirk answered all of her questions. She wondered if the witch knew what she had allowed to happen to her. Probably not or she'd never have agreed to it.

"We need to set up an area to do the spell," Bonnie continued as the group walked forward into the forest and toward the stone tomb in the distance.

Once they broke through the tree line and entered into the small rocky valley they were greeted with the sight of bodies strewn about the area. Klaus was barking out orders, getting the items needed for the spell set out and a place set up so they could destroy Silas before he ever had a chance to rise.

A surge of energy swept through the island knocking all of them down and Rebekah had a feeling that they were already too late. The sound of the birds stopped. The wind ceased to move. Everything was deathly calm and a shiver ran down her spine, one that she was certain was heading down everyone else's as well.

A man appeared in the door of the tomb, the energy that seeped off of him, coupled with the ancient garb, alerting them to who he was.

Silas had risen.

"I see that you have all finally made your way here to my island," he started, and Rebekah cringed, hearing him in her head as well as out loud. It shouldn't have been possible because of the spelled rings they wore but it seemed that those had been rendered useless for the moment.

"It is not your island. It was Qestiyah's. She is the one who interred you here to live out your days until you finally died as you deserved," Lucy replied, and Silas's gaze moved to her.

"Or so went her side of the story," he remarked, and another surge of energy was thrown at them, keeping them down as the he stepped forward, blood smearing his mouth.

Bonnie didn't hesitate, already rising, and holding the bones of Qestiyah. She was chanting the spell and the immortal stopped, gaze focused on her and looking ready to strike her down, as Lucy crushed part of the tombstone, sprinkling it around them and causing Silas' expression to twist. "I would not allow them to complete that spell," he continued, looking over at the rest of them. "You see, I have had ample time to consider what would happen once I was awoken. I knew there would be ones like you hell-bent on destroying me."

His gaze locked on Klaus. "I tried to manipulate your hand by taking what you loved so that you would need to help me in order to get them back." The Hybrid stepped in front of Caroline, trying to keep her out of the immortal's eye line. "But then I realized I already have access to a number of people who you would lay down swords for."

He waved his arm, beckoning for someone else to step out of the tomb. A woman that Rebekah didn't know stepped out of it. "You keep on going and don't listen to a word he says," the woman started, before she collapsed to her knees, writhing in pain.

"Grams!" Bonnie shouted, spell momentarily forgotten before Lucy urged her on.

"All people who are on the Other Side and at my disposal. And so I bring you a gift, life renewed," Silas continued, urging another forward, and out stepped Damon Salvatore.

"What?" Stefan lurched forward, obviously wanting to go for his brother, the shock written all over him at the news that Damon was  _dead._

Silas seemed to falter a little as the spell hit him, Sheila Bennett and Damon twisting in pain, their cries echoing throughout the island. "If you kill me, then they too will die. But they will not return to the Other Side. They will simply cease to exist and you will never be able to get them back."

"Don't you listen to him, child. We had our time on this earth," Sheila urged, seeing that Bonnie was about to falter again.

"You should have picked better bait to dangle at us," Kol remarked, unimpressed with the display as he handed Bonnie the next item, urging her to continue.

"Meet my last guest. Some of you know him well," Silas replied, and Rebekah's breath caught in her throat as the final one stepped out of the tomb.

"Oh my god," she murmured, hardly believing her eyes.

Perhaps it was a trick of the light. A thousand years could have played with her memory. "If you kill me, then you kill them all over again," Silas continued, knowing he had the upper hand now.

"Henrik," Elijah breathed out, finally saying what the rest of the Mikaelsons had been unable to get out.

"This is a trick," Klaus started, but his voice twisted, nearly breaking at the sight of the youngest of them.

"Elijah? Hva er det som skjer?" the boy asked, looking out at all of them. "Nik? Hvor er mor?" [1]

Pain ripped through him as the spell continued, causing him to fall to his knees and Rebekah cried out at that, stepping forward, wanting to offer him comfort, to save him from meeting the same fate as before. She looked over at her other brothers, seeing that they all had the same thought.

She didn't hesitate, moving to Lucy even as Sheila shouted for her stop. It was such an easy thing to snap the witch's neck, to break the spell, ruining their chances of destroying Silas in that split second.

The sun was blotted out for a moment, darkness sweeping over them all instantaneously, before the sun shone again. Silas was gone, but the others remained, and Rebekah was at Henrik's side in seconds, hugging the boy as tightly as she could.

"You have damned us all," Sheila told her, but Rebekah didn't care, not when she had a living breathing Henrik in her arms.

She'd deal with the consequences later.

They all would.

* * *

**A/N:**

[1]-I went with Norwegian for what they used to speak. It was that or Icelandic. And the way the words are written in Icelandic don't always format correctly.

So Henrik said:  _Elijah, what's going on?_  and then  _Nik? Where is mother?_

 


	27. Chapter 27

_…throw roses into the abyss and say: 'here is my thanks to the monster who didn't succeed in swallowing me alive.'--_  Friedrich Nietzsche

* * *

To say that Caroline's brain was currently working on overdrive was a bit of an understatement. She was still trying to process what had happened in the last few minutes and the current ranting and ravings coming from various sides was not helping to sort out anything. All she knew for certain was that Silas was  _gone_  and they were all seriously fucked.

Rebekah was still near the tomb, hugging onto the boy that she'd apparently killed for. The one who spoke some weird language and had Kol and Elijah running to be at his side as well. Klaus wasn't though. He remained on the sidelines, expression unreadable, but she saw the pain in his eyes, the difficulty that he had swallowing as he watched the others reunite. She didn't know who the kid was but it was obvious that he was someone important to the Mikaelson family.

She didn't even know what to make of the fact that apparently Damon had been  _dead_. Not that she would be throwing him any welcome back parties or anything, but Stefan's shock at the realization was enough to have her nearly head that way to offer some support.

Except Bonnie was cradling a dead Lucy and Sheila was still yelling at the lot of them for not following through and Caroline prioritized her friend holding a dead loved one instead of the others with their apparently newly resurrected ones. "Bonnie?" she dropped down beside the girl, enveloping her in a hug as the shock began to wear off, reality seeping in.

Energy slammed into everyone, knocking Caroline away from Bonnie who was rising and looking ready to cause pain. "Stand down, child," Sheila told her, resting a hand on her granddaughter's shoulder. "Much as I'd like to let you punish them for this, we still need them if we have any chance in hell of stopping Silas."

"I believe you said that we were all damned to Hell," Klaus bit out, directing his frustration at the elder witch. "That implies that there's nothing more to do." Caroline frowned, knowing he didn't actually believe that. Klaus Mikaelson had a billion plans for everything.

"Silas wants one thing and will tear this world apart in order to get it," Sheila replied as she continued to try and calm Bonnie down. It took a moment, but Bonnie eventually sat back down beside Lucy, the bones she'd been holding dropping down the ground beside her. "Love, that emotion that should replenish, has been twisted into something dark, disturbing, and all-consuming." Caroline could feel Sheila's gaze on her at that, boring holes into her soul. "Some loves are never meant to be. They destroy instead of create."

"If you're finished doling out your unneeded comments, perhaps you could move onto the vital information that we need," Klaus snapped and Caroline looked over at him, noting the amber of his eyes. He looked ready to pull Sheila's head from her body because of her pointed comments.

"The veil that parts here from the other side is already cracking in places. Soon there will be holes and people will be able to slip through them and enter the realm of the living again. Hence damning us all to hell." Sheila continued, glancing over at the others who were beginning to pay attention. "Death will never be permanent as long as that happens. No one will find peace. Your enemies will be able to step through to torment you and while you'll be able to kill them again, it'll only be a matter of time before they pop up again."

"We're already aware of that, so move along to how knowing that can help us stop Silas," Klaus suggested, the unspoken 'or I'll tear out your vocal chords' hanging between them.

"Who knows the story of Qestiyah and Silas?" Sheila looked around at the lot of them. "Or should I say the one that's been perpetuated for centuries at least."

"Easy. Guy liked girl. Got other girl to make an immortality spell. Girl got jealous, killed other girl and locked guy away to rot for eternity," Damon piped up. Caroline rolled her eyes at his quick description.

"It wasn't just jealousy. Qestiyah thought the immortality spell was for her and Silas. She saw what he did was betrayal," Bonnie butted in and Caroline sat down beside her again, nodding along to what Bonnie said. It sounded entirely more plausible than the whole doing everything out spite retelling.

"Lovely history lesson," Klaus replied, grimacing at them. "But we already know all of that and how he wishes to regain his power, wreak a little havoc, destroy the world."

"Something we'd rather not have happen," Kol pointed out, leaving Rebekah to tend to the boy. "Though one thing all the tales don't tell is that girl had a name. Amara. Had to be in with the right witches to get that tidbit."

Damon shrugged, muttering 'show off' under his breath and getting one of the bones thrown his way in response. "Not in front of Henrik," Rebekah chided before murmuring again in the foreign language to the boy beside her.

Guilt mixed with a tiny bit of remorse seemed to flash over Kol and Caroline pursed her lips, wondering who Henrik was to all of them for that admonishment to cause that reaction in the Original and not another smart comment. "What does he gain by having the veil drop?" Elijah inquired, joining the group after casting a look back at Rebekah and Henrik. "Aside from chaos. There must be a reason he needs it to fall."

"Two," Sheila replied and attention turned to her.

"No need to keep us in suspense," Kol remarked, plopping down beside Bonnie and Caroline. "I always do love a good story."

"Revenge against the creator of the Other Side by destroying her beloved creation. And to find his one true love and create a kingdom for the two of them to live out their lives in," Sheila continued and Kol leaned over, tapping Caroline's shoulder.

"Almost sweet in a twisted way, don't you think?" he asked, receiving a glare from both her and Bonnie.

"Kol was correct in that the girl's name was Amara," Sheila continued, ignoring his comments. "The heavily guarded secret is that she didn't actually die. Qestiyah never killed her, only made it look that way to drive Silas mad in hopes to get him to take the cure and kill himself, forcing him to live out eternity on the Other Side with her instead of Amara."

"He definitely accomplished that much," Damon replied with a snort.

"But then what happened to her? There's been nothing said about her in the years since then," Bonnie commented and Caroline frowned, having a feeling that they wouldn't like the answer.

"Qestiyah forced immortality on Amara and then used her to tie the Other Side to this world. An anchor of sorts," Sheila informed them. "Silas would only ever realize that she wasn't dead once he was on the Other Side and forced to endure eternity without her."

"Okay there's like revenge and then there is taking the whole thing seriously too far," Caroline muttered, especially when it was going to screw with the world because of some stupid love triangle.

"What happens to the Other Side if we are able to kill Amara?" Elijah asked, causing the others to look at him at the suggestion. "Will it no longer be anchored to here and will the people no longer be able to spill over?"

"Precisely," Sheila replied and extended her hand, revealing a small vial. "This is what needs to be looked for in her tomb. It's the cure. We need one for him and we need one for her." Klaus had it out of her hand before she could react. "It's no threat to any of you. It was made to counter their immortality spell. The one on you is countered by the white oak. Stab Silas with it and it'll do nothing but be an annoyance. Drink that and it'll do nothing but make you gag."

"You'll have to forgive me for not quite believing you on that," Klaus tucked it away. "Rather not chance it."

"There was never a cure for us," Rebekah murmured, looking absolutely devastated at that knowledge.

"Only death," Sheila replied, not caring about the glares directed her way. "As I was saying, once its forced down her throat she'll be easily killable. She has no magic to fall back on. Her death cuts off this plane from the one the Other Side is on."

"Seems easy enough," Kol replied with a happy shrug. "So where do we find this Sleeping Beauty?"

"But what happens to the Other Side? To the magic that's tied to it? To the people there?" Bonnie asked, reflecting Caroline's thoughts.

"It ceases to exist," Sheila replied, the mood growing a little more somber at the revelation. Though Caroline couldn't quite make out Damon's expression. "As does anyone in it. Ancestral magic will be no more. No witch will be able to call upon spirits for help."

"And how will Silas be able to bring down the veil between the two worlds? You said it's just cracking right now?" Bonnie continued, still trying to wrap her head around it all.

"Silas was able to do a bit of damage to it but he doesn't have the power now to get it down completely," Sheila replied with a sigh. "Every bit of energy he does manage to get is going to be used to continue to replenish himself. He got a significant boost when he drained Valerie dry but he used most of that to draw us three here, to stay your hands, and start the cracks. He needs a witch to be able to complete it now."

"Unfortunately he has a number of those all too happy to follow him," Kol pointed out, and Caroline remembered how many witches they'd come across in the last few weeks who'd been all too ready to hurt them in Silas' name.

"None of them will work," Sheila told them, her gaze on Bonnie. "It has to be one from Qestiyah's line and he foolishly had most of them slaughtered. Only one fits the bill any longer."

"Alright then. We keep Bonnie from Silas, kill this Amara, and then how exactly do we take Silas down?" Kol asked, winking at Bonnie who glared at him and Caroline rolled her eyes, squeezing her friend's hand for moral support.

"Same as Amara. Cure him and kill him," Sheila replied. "Just remember he was a powerful warlock so it won't be as easy to kill him once he's cured. The longer we wait to kill her though the more people can seep over to this world and cause havoc. With the link to the Other Side gone they'll eventually die but who knows how much damage they'll manage to do to the world before that happens. And if Silas manages to destroy the veil first then everyone who is on the Other Side will be given free reign over here."

Hundreds of thousands of witches, werewolves, and vampires roaming the world who'd been dead for centuries. Some good, some bad, some horrible and no doubt ready to cause pain and suffering. Mikael and Esther could definitely be listed in that bunch. But Caroline had a feeling there would be more than that and it'd become an all-out war. Old grudges would be renewed and chaos really would reign.

"Alright. Protect Bonnie. Find Amara and kill her. Shove a cure down a dangerous immortal's throat that will turn him mortal and allow us to kill him," Kol commented, ticking off each part on his fingers. "Oh, and let's not forget the whole untying you lot from Silas."

"That isn't possible," Sheila started, but was quickly cut off by Klaus' hand wrapping around her neck. Bonnie looked ready to unleash hell on him but Sheila raised her hand to her, beckoning her to stay put.

"Oh I think you'll find that it is or hell is free to reign until you do so," he replied and the boy beside Rebekah let out a sharp gasp. Klaus let Sheila go and stepped back, wiping his hands on his pants.

"Add get Elena back from the Other Side to that list," Damon commented, his words startling Caroline and Bonnie from their spot on the ground.

"What?" Bonnie demanded.

"She's…"  _No_. Caroline couldn't say those words. Elena couldn't be dead.

"Oh  _of course_  the doppelganger is dead," Rebekah tsked, rolling her eyes at the fact. "I'm surprised she made it this far. What happened, did she accidentally stake herself? Or was she just trying to get away from you?"

Damon looked ready to try and throttle her but Stefan grabbed his arm, holding him back. "Probably had to do with that whole losing her mind deal," Kol chimed in. "Killing and turning witches can do that."

"Enough," Klaus demanded, silencing his siblings. "We'll continue this conversation on the boat and dole out tasks. Considering that I'm seeing two wolves that I killed an hour ago tracking us from the tree line I'd say it's time we left this island."

Caroline whipped around at that, spotting the two men who'd been with Tyler earlier in the day. Did that mean that Tyler could maybe…She didn't get to complete the thought; Klaus was already at her side and ready to maneuver her toward the boat. "Gather what we need and let's get moving," Klaus continued as he yanked Bonnie to her feet as well, beckoning his brother forward. "Kol. Make sure she gets to the boat in one piece."

Kol flashed off with Bonnie before Sheila or Caroline could say a word. The boy was speaking again in the language that she didn't know, looking as if he was unsure whether to be intrigued or frightened about what he'd just seen.

"Rebekah," Klaus looked over at his sister and Henrik, and Caroline watched as Rebekah nodded before flashing off with him in tow. "Elijah be sure to bring Mrs. Bennett with you. I'll let you deal with your brother, Stefan, but do know Damon, that there will be no sacrificing on anyone's part to bring back that girl. Vincent ensure that Vaughn makes it there as well."

Klaus whipped off with Caroline, not bothering to wait for an answer. She had so many things to ask as they stopped on the beach near where the boat was located but was beat out by the boy running over to them.

"Nik?" the boy asked. What had Rebekah called him? Henry? No. It wasn't that. "Hvordan gjorde du det? Hva er dette magi?" [1]

He had a similar smile to Klaus and his eyes reminded Caroline of Rebekah's color, his hair more like Kol or Elijah's. Did they have another sibling? She didn't remember anyone ever mentioning one but then again she wasn't always in the loop either.

"Nå er ikke tiden for å få svar. Jeg vil forklare det til deg senere. Gå få på båten med Rebekka.," Klaus told the boy, nodding toward where Rebekah stood waiting for him to return. [2]

"Who is he?" Caroline asked as the boy headed back toward the boat.

"My brother Henrik," Klaus replied, and there was something about him that seemed more sullen than she'd ever seen him before. A regret that seemed to sweep over him and take root. "The one that I killed." The sorrow in his voice at that, the deep breath after it had her thinking that wasn't the full story. Klaus looked at her and she tried to get a glimpse into him but it was as if a wall had been erected specifically to block her out right after he'd spoken.

"Get on the boat, Caroline."

It would have been so easy to ignore that, to push, but now wasn't the time, especially not if others were already seeping through the veil. She'd get the answers she wanted later, get Klaus to talk to her, and hopefully be able to talk with Bonnie about if they were going to save their best friend while also making sure that the world didn't end.

* * *

Getting corralled down into one of the lower rooms on the boat as soon as Damon and Stefan arrived really wasn't in Caroline's plans. She knew what the two of them would want to talk about but their schemes  _never_  went off well. Someone always got hurt and there were so very few people left in her life that she didn't want any of them to be harmed. Especially not because some people couldn't seem to grasp the bigger picture.

Elena Gilbert was one of her best friends and she didn't want her to be dead. Definitely didn't want her to be trapped on the Other Side, especially if it was going to cease to exist which meant Elena wouldn't exist any longer, but like hell was she risking her or Bonnie's life to bring her back. Didn't they realize that they  _needed_ Bonnie alive? She couldn't try some spell that may or may not actually do anything but  _could_ end up killing her in the process.

How come Elena's life was worth more than Bonnie's?

"You can't ask her to do that!" Caroline yelled at Damon who'd finished detailing his idiotic plan. "You don't even know that it'll work and  _newsflash_  Bonnie needs to live so that when we freaking jam that cure down Silas' throat she can take him down. Or you know the whole world is going to end."

"What about Elena?" Damon demanded, looking ready to throttle her and before it would have frightened Caroline, she might have even backed down, but she refused to do so with Bonnie's life hanging in the balance. "We're not even going to try and get her back?"

"She's  _dead,_ Damon," Caroline replied, looking over to Stefan for help but that was useless with him looking down at the table. "Sometimes people should stay dead. Do you think she'll really want to come back here remembering everything that she did? Do you really think Elena can handle that?" Because Caroline didn't think she could. Elena Gilbert would break if she knew how many she had killed and learned about everything she'd forced the newly turned vampires to do. At least if what Kol had said was true and there wasn't any reason for him to lie, especially when he'd been impressed.

And what about all of the others that they'd lost? Matt. Jeremy. Tyler. Matt couldn't be brought back because he was human but why did Elena matter more than the other two? Not that Tyler coming back would be the greatest idea since he'd only be killed again, revenge too ingrained in his mind for him to ever let it go.

"We'll just get your new boyfriend to compel those memories away from her," Damon told her, arrogant smirk on his face and Caroline clucked her tongue at that.

"Right, because he's going to want to do that after you've gotten Bonnie killed," she muttered, shaking her head at the madness.

"There's no  _guarantee_ that she'll die," Damon pointed out. No, just a fifty/fifty chance that she might.

"She's not doing it," Caroline bit out, wondering how much Stefan would hate her if she staked his brother. He'd get over it in a century right?

"I think  _she_ gets a say," Damon replied, wagging his brows as he looked over at Bonnie.

Caroline sighed, raking her hands through her hair. She didn't want Bonnie to have a say. Bonnie who risked her life more than once to help out everyone, especially Elena. She didn't care if it was selfish, she couldn't lose Bonnie too. Not for a  _chance_  that Elena might be able to come back. Besides maybe she'd simply fall through a crack like others were going to be able to do. But she knew it had to be Bonnie's decision, she couldn't take that away from her.

"I'm not going to do it," Bonnie murmured, and just like that Damon's triumphant look fell, anger replacing it as he looked over at the two of them. Caroline sank down onto the couch beside her friend, thankful that she saw reason at least. "There's too much at stake right now for me to take that kind of risk."

Damon didn't seem to like that answer, fangs elongating and the veins on his face beginning to swell from the blood rushing to them. Caroline stood, ready to protect Bonnie as Stefan tried to grab his brother's arm. "We'll find another way, Damon," Stefan attempted to reassure, but it was no use.

"I'll make you help us," Damon growled, ready to flash forward. Bonnie extended her arm, fingers curling together as she sent pain to erupt in Damon's head.

"Now now, children," Kol started from the doorway before making his way into the room. "You're not thinking of hurting either of them, are you, Damon? I'm itching to remove someone's lungs today and you're looking like the perfect candidate." He sank down on the couch beside Bonnie, resting his arms on the back of it before patting the space beside him. "Come sit, Caroline." He looked over at Bonnie, grinning. "Feel free to keep that up if you'd like, darling, but he won't be lifting a finger against either of you."

Kol was up seconds later and pushing Damon against the wall, his hand clamped around the vampire's throat. "I'm betting coming back from the Other Side means you're not chuck full of vervain." He grabbed Damon's wrist, biting into and tasting the blood. "Just as I expected."

Stefan made a move forward and Kol looked over at him. "I suggest sitting down or I'll simply tear out his heart instead of neutering him. Your call."

It took a moment, but Stefan sat back down, ignoring Damon's look of betrayal. What did the elder Salvatore expect his brother to do? Compulsion was better than death. "Now, where was I?" Kol started, pretending to contemplate before he looked back at Damon, smiling maliciously as his gaze locked with the younger vampire's. "You'll stake yourself before making so much as a step toward either Bonnie or Caroline in a threatening manner. Oh and anytime anyone says Elena's name I'd like you to break a bone in your body."

Kol let him go, brushing down Damon's shirt where it'd gotten scrunched up before taking a step back. "Shall we try that out?" he asked as he sat back down on the couch beside the girls. "We're going to do nothing to get your precious Elena back. If by some chance you manage it and it is at the expense of one of these girls then I will personally compel Elena to harm herself whenever she sees you, hears your name, or even simply remembers that you exist."

Sure enough, Damon broke two fingers, gazing murderously at Kol afterward before storming out of the room. "Might want to reel your brother in, Stefan," Kol suggested. "You're lucky it was me who came in and not Nik. This room would be a lovely shade of red if he saw how he was threatening his girl here."

Caroline narrowed her eyes at that, even though she knew it was true. Klaus would have killed Damon without hesitation, just as he had countless others in the last few weeks who'd dared threaten her.

Stefan simply nodded and headed out after his brother, but Caroline saw the panic in his eyes, the uncertainty that he regarded her with. "Think I'll go check up on my youngest brother now," Kol remarked before heading out the door as well.

Caroline let her head fall back against the couch and stared up at the ceiling, thankful that Bonnie didn't comment. Merely took hold of her hand and gave it a squeeze as they sat there in silence, trying to come to terms with all that had just happened.

* * *

Klaus had been barking orders as soon as he'd stepped on board the boat again. Efficiency was needed and if it meant he had to get into some people's faces, to utilize a few threats then he didn't care. They needed to get moving and every moment someone sat around idle was an increased chance for Silas to prevail.

It shouldn't have mattered that Henrik was staring at him with wide eyes from where he sat with Rebekah who was trying to explain everything to him. With a look that mirrored ones he'd seen in the boy when Mikael had been doling out punishments. That fear now directed at him and Klaus hated it, wanted to force it away. It was too much like the fear he'd seen in the boy's eyes as he died in his arms after the wolves had gotten to him. A look that had haunted him for centuries and he'd thought he'd gotten a handle on, truly believed he'd been able to push it down and away, but it all rushed back at him with Henrik watching him.

Klaus headed down to the lower level, ordering Vincent to oversee the rest of the navigation. His other siblings were doting on the boy, Rebekah had barely left Henrik's side since she'd gone to hug him, but aside from urging him to get on the boat with Rebekah, Klaus hadn't approached him.

The guilt of what had happened on that fateful night had resurfaced faster than he could bury it, wanting to overwhelm him, and Klaus wasn't sure he'd be able to handle knowing that Henrik blamed him for his death. Surely his brother did. Mikael had. Even Esther, though she'd never said it directly to him, Klaus had seen the anger in her gaze directed his way after everything had happened. He was certain the rest of the family did too.

Guilt wasn't an emotion he handled well and it wasn't one that he felt often either. It was a weakness, one that he usually would strip to the bone, that he would drown in blood and death, destroying any who dared to make him feel a slimmer of that emotion. But that wasn't an option now. All that was left was trying to block it, to be so focused on everything else that he didn't have a chance to allow any feelings to slip inside and try to pull him down.

"Henrik is asking for you," Elijah informed him and Klaus clenched his fists at that before moving to pour a glass of scotch.

"There are more important matters to deal with at the moment." It was a lie and the truth all at once. "Groups need to be made. Those to track Silas down. Those to find Amara and kill her. Those who will be ensuring that Silas doesn't get his hands on Bonnie. Getting the link between Silas and the others broken." Which would happen. He may be unable to see his brother at the moment but like hell would he allow him to be taken from the family again.

"I believe our best bet for the unlinking spell would be the elder Bennett," Elijah replied, which did make sense. She'd know more than Bonnie would, though pulling it out of her would no doubt be an unpleasant experience all around. Every bit of magic had something to counter it. Just as Silas' immortality had a cure or their vampirism had the white oak stake. If two people's life forces could be linked then it stood to reason that they could be unlinked as well, like when his siblings had been linked by their mother and then unlinked from one another.

"I do not trust that witch." Sheila Bennett. It was one thing with Bonnie, she was far easier to control with the life of her loved ones in his hands, but Sheila was a wild card. Considering the woman had been fine with being wiped out of existence in order to stop Silas, Klaus had a feeling she wouldn't be as easily manipulated. "I doubt we'll be able to separate her from Bonnie but I want Kol with them at all times. Less chance of planning behind our backs going on." Not to mention the nice little ace card that Kol now held with Bonnie.

"I am sure that Kol will be more than happy to oblige with doing so," Elijah remarked, and Klaus wished that'd be the end of the conversation, that his brother would take his leave of him and allow Klaus to deal with everything in his own way. "Now that we've gotten that out of the way, I believe you should go spend some time with our other brother. The one you have not seen in years."

Hadn't he though? Henrik had plagued his nightmares for more years than Klaus would ever admit. He'd been a focal point of those fifty-two years of mindless torture that he'd endured with the Hunter's Curse.

"I think we should speak about the doppelganger you've got tied up on board," Klaus countered. Just a few doors down from where they were now was a very alive Katherine Pierce and wouldn't it be lovely to end that life now. "Quite curious as to  _why_  she was on that island. You'd think she'd be hundreds of miles away knowing that I'd be anywhere close." Usually Katherine had much better survival instincts.

"I am dealing with her," Elijah told him, and Klaus didn't particularly care for that answer. "She will be of no trouble here."

"Her very existence is trouble." Surely Elijah realized that by now. "Oh come now, brother. Don't tell me you've started to have feelings for her again." Klaus shook his head, seeing all the telltale signs that Elijah was indeed infatuated all over again. Pathetic.

"I would think you would understand now," Elijah started and Klaus arched a brow at that. "Considering all you have done for love."

"You should know better than to assume anything about me, brother," Klaus pointed out, refusing to allow Caroline to be likened to the doppelganger.

Elijah seemed to sense that his new line of conversation was getting him nowhere. "Henrik wants to see you, Niklaus. He is asking for you. Not for Kol, not for Finn, Rebekah or myself. He wants the brother that he was closest to in order to help him deal with all that is going on," Elijah tried again, and Klaus simply drank his drink, not letting any emotion seep out. "Though I wonder if he'd even recognize that brother inside of you at this point."

"Then perhaps it's best if he not be forced to endure who I've become," Klaus replied, bitter smile on his face before he left the compartment, ignoring Elijah's calls for him.

He needed to stamp out the guilt that was trying to grab hold of him; to stifle all of the weaknesses that he could feel were trying to pull him down. They didn't need every crewman that was on board. Ripping into one of them, drowning out the world on their blood and fear should help for a bit, prove to Elijah how right he was that Henrik wouldn't recognize who he'd become.

Or perhaps little Katerina would finally meet her end. At the very least suffer a nasty bite, though then he'd need to deal with Elijah's begging for the cure, trying to appeal to him and that would grow tiring rather quickly.

Klaus had his sights set on a crew member, was ready to pounce, to pull the poor boy into a room and take his life when Caroline stepped out of another room in front of him. "Klaus?"

She was being pushed back into the room before he knew what he was even doing, his lips pressing harshly against hers and swallowing her gasp of surprise. He had her on the couch beneath him, body pressing down against hers, making her gasp again as his mouth moved to neck, alternating between kissing, biting and licking the flesh there and all the way to her collarbone.

His hand snaked between their bodies, undoing the buttons of her pants and enjoying the moan that elicited from her. Her hands were in his hair, against his back, as she arched, trying to give him more access to her body before reality seemed to catch up to her.

"Klaus." She tried, giving his hair a tug.

He ignored her, hand slipping beneath her panties as he captured her lips again, wanting to drown in her, for the rest of reality to be pushed aside for however long he could manage.

Caroline's hand cupped his cheek, thumb gently caressing his skin, and it was the intimacy of that motion that had him stopping his movements, forehead pressing against her own as he removed his hand between them. He couldn't seem to move off of her though and she kept her motion up, thumb still moving ever so softly against him.

"I'm guessing this has to do with Henrik?" she asked and just like that he was up off of her, ready to hunt down a crewman, not wanting to have this conversation. Her hand caught his though, halting his steps.

"I do not believe that's any of your business," Klaus replied, his voice cold, gaze even harsher as he looked over at her.

She actually rolled her eyes at that, which threw him for a moment, and she rose, still not letting go of his hand. "Maybe, maybe not, but I have feeling your way of dealing with whatever is going on in your head is so not healthy. Case in point, the whole impromptu make out session. Guessing that was for distracting yourself from it all. And then there's this whole let me lash out at Caroline so she'll stop trying to get me to talk thing."

He was in her face in seconds, hands clasping her head as he glared down at her. It'd be so easy to squeeze, to stop her talking indefinitely, but his movement was harsh for maybe a moment before his grip softened, hating how her hands curling over his own had him closing his eyes, forehead pressing against hers as he tried to calm down.

If he had a weakness it was this girl right here.

"So what happened? I mean. Like, it's obvious that he died and that you all loved him and from the language he was speaking that I don't actually know what it is but it  _sounds old_  and he isn't all 'I need blood' I'm guessing he died when you were all still human?" she continued, removing his hands from her face but never letting go of them.

"Yes." It was all he got out and from her quirked brow; Klaus knew that answer wouldn't be enough to satisfy Caroline. "I thought Rebekah had told all of this to Elena already." Or so his sister had informed him.

"I wouldn't know. No one bothers to tell me anything." The bitterness in her voice was rather adorable and caused him to sigh, leading her back to the couch they'd vacated moments before.

It was a tale he'd never told to another person. He'd barely allowed his siblings to speak of their youngest brother after they'd fled from Mikael the first time. Everything had been too raw for all of them and eventually they'd simply stopped bringing him up, knowing no good would come of it. Henrik had been better left to their memories where nothing could harm him any longer.

"What all do you know of what Mystic Falls was like back when my family was originally there?" Klaus looked over at Caroline who was sitting cross-legged on the couch beside him.

"Just that there was your village and a werewolf village and that you and Elijah were both in love with an Elena lookalike." She scrunched her nose at that and Klaus arched a brow at the jealousy he could sense.

"Technically Elena and Katerina are Tatia lookalikes and that was a long time ago," Klaus told her, reaching over to touch her hair. "I'm quite partial to blonde haired baby vampires these days."

Caroline rolled her eyes at that but he saw her lips tug into a brief smile at that. "Not sure what that has to do with what happened though."

"Every full moon the people of the village would retreat to the caves to hide out from the wolves." He watched her, could see her realizing what part of Mystic Falls that had most likely occurred in. "I was curious, had always wanted to see what they looked like and one night I left to go look. I didn't know he was following me at first. I should have. Henrik often did. I should have turned around and brought him right back to the caves. I did not." And he would always regret that decision. "They tore him apart."

Her eyes widened at that, hand clasping over her mouth as she no doubt could imagine that happening. "They didn't even bother with me. No doubt sensed the wolf in me that hadn't been broken free yet. He died in my arms."

Those wheezing breaths, the bloodied face and body that he'd cradled to him as he tried to get back to the village before all breath ceased, before the little light that had been left in his brother's eyes was blotted out.

"You didn't kill him," Caroline murmured and he leaned back against the couch, unable to look at her as the guilt seemed to stir again. "It was a tragic accident but it wasn't your fault. Like why weren't your parents more aware of where he was supposed to be or whatever? You didn't know what was going to happen. And it  _sucks_  because he paid the price for an innocent mistake but he's like  _here_  and on that deck and you can actually talk to him and see him and hold him and like isn't that a good thing?"

Klaus didn't reply, still unable to glance at her, his focus on the other wall. "You think he blames you, don't you?" Caroline continued, and he looked at her then. "You probably also think he like hates you or whatever but if that was the case then he so wouldn't have asked for you like first thing after stepping out of the tomb—I'm guessing that you're this Nik person, unless that's like Kol's nickname which really doesn't work and I'm pretty sure I've heard Kol and Rebekah call you that anyway—and he so went up to you when we got to the beach. And was in curious mode, not in 'I hate you, you so ruined my life' mode. I mean I didn't understand a thing that he was saying but I can read people's expressions and he did not have on an angry one."

She was right. He hadn't shown any sign of hatred, only fear in how Klaus had interacted with others, but Elijah had said that Henrik still wanted to see him. "I am not the boy he used to know," Klaus finally replied, shoulders slumping slightly as he steepled his fingers and pressed them to his mouth. He would not go back to being that weakling, not even for Henrik.

"No, probably not. I doubt any of you are who he used to know, but that's not stopping Rebekah from hugging the hell out of him. Or Kol like talking to him. Or Elijah chatting with him instead of being all stoic," Caroline pointed out as she rose. "It's up to you. Avoid him and lose out on this awesome thing that happened where you  _got him back_  or you know, take a chance and go and spend time with him because who the hell even knows what's going to happen next. No one can make that decision except you."

She left the room then, shutting the door behind herself, and leaving him alone with his thoughts. The urge to tear off someone's head had lessened greatly, though the guilt was still there at the surface. There was anticipation as well though and Klaus knew that Caroline was right. He needed to take a chance and talk to the boy because nothing was going to take Henrik away from them again. So what would be the point of having the boy around if he couldn't even face him?

Klaus Mikaelson had not been a coward for many centuries and he was not about to revert to that previous state. He was the Original Hybrid, the most powerful being in the world, and he would face his twelve year old brother who'd died in arms, no matter what the consequences might be of that interaction.

* * *

Honestly it was a simple enough plan. Divide the lot of them into two groups. One that would try to locate and keep tabs on Silas while also taking out any witches that he was trying to gain power or information from. The other would head to Amara's burial place and kill the woman. All of them would work to find a way to break the linking spell, didn't matter that the witches were all in one group. Vincent's knowledge of supernatural texts rivaled both Bennetts and there was the possibility of a spell being in one of the grimoires he'd collected over the years.

Figuring out which group Henrik would be heading off with had been infinitely harder to hash out, none of his siblings wishing to be separated from him so soon, but Elijah had allowed the others to have him in their group. As the oldest remaining sibling it was his duty to do that, wasn't it? To be the one to sacrifice his happiness for the younger ones. He'd been doing it for so long that he truly didn't know any other to behave. Cleaning up their messes, trying to save them from their own harsh temperaments, always the one to try and referee any and all disagreements.

Even when he despised being in their presence.

They had known the veil was thinning in places; all had spotted the men Klaus had pointed out earlier on the island, and had expected to deal with possible threats as soon as they disembarked. It was the sheer number of them that had thrown everyone off.

"Do not kill them," Elijah warned as he took in the sight of the original Brotherhood of the Five. Who knew if the curse would carry over after death but it wasn't something he wanted anyone in his family to find out.

Thankfully they were off of the boat already, leaving only his lot to deal with the five angry men, all looking entirely too ready to cause them pain. He was far older than he had been the first time he'd encountered them, all of the vampires in his group had the added strength of living more than at least a hundred years.

"You are one of us," Alexander remarked in Italian as he looked at Vaughn, nodding toward the mark visible on the man's arms. "Why do you side with these monsters?"

Elijah was ready to answer, unsure if Vaughn understood the language. "Because we're going after the real one, mate," Vaughn replied fluently, sending the man overboard and into the water.

Another was speared through his leg into the deck of the boat, the other three joining their brother in arms in the water below. Elijah spotted Damon and Stefan leaping off onto the dock, speeding away before he could say a word. It didn't surprise him. The fools would focus their efforts on Elena Gilbert and he was not in the mood for babysitting. He hadn't expected them to stick with group long anyway.

Elijah was about to comment when more people suddenly appeared on the deck of the boat, almost as if they were stepping out of thin air. Vincent moved to slice a head off, to give them more time, when Vaughn spotted the Hunter's mark beneath the man's sleeve. " _Hunter!"_

"I believe it's prudent that we get away from this area post haste," Elijah ordered, hauling Katherine who was with him out onto the dock, the others following.

If Hunters were coming back then it was probably best to not kill anyone that they came across. They might not always be lucky enough to notice the mark before the deed was done and there was no time for them to deal with that kind of madness taking hold.

"Are we heading to my place now?" Vincent suggested as he flashed with Vaughn after Elijah into the heart of the city.

"I think finding the unlinking spell should be our top priority," Elijah replied. Silas would let his presence be known in time and they needed that spell before they could end his reign. Henrik was not allowed to cease to exist.

"Why don't I just…" Katherine started, and Elijah tightened his grip, before nodding in the direction they needed to head. They would not be able to utilize vampire speed the entire way as Klaus and Caroline had done because of Vaughn but they should be able to get to the airport and cut down travel time. He hoped the others were faring better than they had since separating.

"I do not want to hunt you down, Katerina," Elijah told her, the implied  _but I will_  hanging between them. Knowing that she planned to harm Klaus, to no doubt use Caroline against him, meant he wouldn't be able to let her live this time either if she ran.

He cared for her greatly, loved her in his own way, but Klaus' happiness far outweighed Katherine's life in his mind. Always and forever, no matter how twisted it had become, was a promise he would keep, whatever the consequences. From the fury in her eyes as she looked at him, he had feeling that she knew that.

Any plans he might have had to let her go, to simply compel her to leave Klaus be and make a life for herself somewhere else had changed. Elijah had a feeling that Katherine wouldn't slink off into the distance this time. Not with her knowledge about a real possible weakness for her to exploit against Klaus, not with her foolish hopes for revenge or a freedom that his brother would never dole out to her. The only real freedom she would ever know was death. Though, the chances of Klaus actually hunting her again were fairly slim if he was focused on Caroline and maybe with time Katherine would see that. Perhaps he could utilize their time together in this group to help her understand that.

Except there was little chance of Klaus allowing her to live if he found out what Katherine had wanted to do, how she wanted to use the girl against him. How to keep his brother from learning was something Elijah was still trying to determine. Rebekah or Kol could easily let it slip or purposefully say something in a heated moment and the tension would resume between all of them, something he also wanted to lessen.

He would figure something out. After all, he deserved some happiness in the end as well, didn't he?

* * *

**[1]: How did you do that? What is this magic?**

**[2]: Now is not the time for answers. I will explain it all to you later. Go get on the boat with Rebekah.**


	28. Chapter 28

_The boundaries which divide Life from Death are at best shadowy and vague. Who shall say where the one ends, and where the other begins?_ _**Edgar Allan Poe** _

* * *

_Werewolves._  Of course what was coming after them had to be freaking werewolves. And not in their human form, nope. Werewolves in their wolf form with their pointy teeth and venomous bites. It didn't make much sense considering it wasn't a full moon but Sheila had said something about them coming out of the Other Side in the form they had died so they got to deal with werewolves, hybrids, and vampires.

Because there might as well be two groups wanting to make Klaus pay for his past actions. Caroline was surprised there weren't witches involved in all of it but she tried to stifle that thought, not wanting give the spirit world any ideas.

Klaus tore through everyone who dared come near them, everyone who tried to step into their path once they'd stopped flashing. It seemed to have taken its toll on Henrik and Sheila, human bodies were not meant to travel at that kind of speed. But Klaus couldn't get every single one of the creatures who attacked, not when they were coming at all angles, looking to cause as much pain as they could.

Sheila and Henrik were able to hold back some of them at first with their magic—something she'd been startled to see the boy be able to do that first time but then he was Esther's son so maybe it shouldn't have been too surprising that he had magic. The two of them were exhausted though and eventually unable to keep up with the onslaught. The boy was barely able to keep upright, leaning against Sheila as they continued the trek forward, trying to regain their energy.

Caroline thrust her hand into the chest cavity of one of the beasts, barely escaping its jaws as she grasped and tugged the heart free. Her vampire features were out in full bloom, the smell of blood oozed from nearly every direction, sticky on her fingers as she stepped forward, continuing what seemed like a choreographed dance as she pulled out hearts or ripped off heads. There was no point in simply throwing them, they just came back then, tried to keep killing them, but at least with death it seemed to send them back to the Other Side. The fact they weren't immediately spilling back out of it was also a help.

There had been a time when she knew precisely how many people she'd ever killed. Catalogued them in her mind and told herself that if she kept the death toll under a certain number, that she wouldn't become the monster that her father had wanted to strip her of. But the days of being able to count her kills had crumbled at her feet and she'd never be able to keep up with the toll anymore.

Did it matter that they were supernatural? Would that make any difference? Or the fact that it was in self-defense, the fact she was doing so to protect others mean that she wasn't drifting into the abyss? Her mother would understand this, wouldn't she? Liz Forbes had to know what it was like to kill another in self-defense and that was all her little girl was doing.

But Caroline saw Sheila's gaze on her as she drove a bent pipe into a werewolves body, pinning it to the wall to die in agony. She saw the woman she'd known since she was a little girl look at her with disgust as she licked the blood from her mouth, watched as Sheila tried to turn Henrik away from the carnage that was occurring around them. She could practically read the woman's thoughts; see her likening Caroline to Klaus, the word  _monster_ that seemed to hang in the air between them.

A month ago and it might have caused Caroline to hang her head in shame, to shrink back as if she'd been burned, and while part of her wanted to do that, she'd seen too much, learned too much in the last few weeks to settle back in that world of black and white. Her world was full of color and one of those was blood red, sticky and sweet, and the source of her life now. If she needed to kill werewolves and vampires that were already technically dead and trying to kill her and the rest of them then she was going to do it and not regret a second of it.

The last body fell and Klaus turned, looking over at all of them, and Caroline nearly had to step back at the intensity of his desire when he took her in. He would find her drenched in blood to be a turn on.

"We need to go," he ordered, nodding for her to take Henrik while he caught Sheila's arm.

The boy stepped over to her, offering up a small smile and she reciprocated it back, thankful not to be looked at like a monster by him before flashing them off, Klaus and Sheila following suite. She stopped after a few miles, feeling Henrik's strength weaken, Klaus showing up a second behind her with Sheila.

"The veil is fine here. We should be able to avoid any more massacres for a bit," the witch informed them, and Caroline sighed in relief at that. She didn't think Henrik would be able to handle much more flashing that day.

Klaus didn't respond, gaze fixed on the world around them and no doubt trying to figure out the best course of action. There was a road to the left of them and Caroline heard the sound of a car heading down it, pursing her lips as Klaus flashed off to stand in the middle of it. Henrik gasped as the car screeched to a halt, stopping inches before his brother and Caroline gently squeezed the boy's shoulder.

"Do not hurt him," Sheila warned, and Klaus simply looked over at her, malevolent smile gracing his lips.

The driver stepped out of the car, yelling something in what Caroline guessed was Greek at Klaus, looking ready to hit him before he really took in Klaus' appearance and all of the blood that covered him. Klaus was on him before he could move an inch, compelling him in the same language, and Caroline frowned, reminding herself to definitely become fluent in like a billion of them once everything with Silas was over.

"We have transportation," Klaus informed them, the man walking back the way he'd come. The smile Klaus offered up was rather pleasant though his gaze was anything but and Caroline headed toward the car with Henrik, not surprised when Klaus fixed his gaze on Sheila, stopping her for a moment. "As you see he's unharmed, but tell me what to do again, witch, and I will force feed you my next kill."

Caroline was in the backseat with Henrik, leaving Sheila to sit up front with Klaus. "I think we need to get some food. And he needs to rest, Klaus," she murmured after she showed the boy how to fasten the seatbelt.

Henrik rested his head against the window, frowning slightly as he closed his eyes and Caroline saw Klaus look back at him, noted the worry in his gaze. "Why is he slowing more easily than you?" Klaus demanded as he started the car.

"He is trying to use magic far beyond his years," Sheila replied as she glanced back. "He wishes to help but it drains his energy quicker because he lacks the experience to know how to wield it properly. I take it that he died before he could be properly tutored."

Klaus' grip tightened on the wheel and Caroline watched it bend a bit beneath his grip. "We'll get food at the next town and find a place to wash up," he murmured, looking at Caroline in the rearview mirror. She had a feeling she looked as messy as he did in that moment, could practically feel the blood matted to her hair and diverted her gaze.

The sight of him shouldn't send shivers down her spine, shouldn't make her  _want him_  as it did. Didn't help that Sheila was watching her as well, her judgment reminding her so much of Bonnie's and Caroline shifted back against the seat, focusing on her worry for her friend. Kol would have gotten Bonnie out of the chaos, would make certain that she was safe. They would all meet up at Amara's tomb and be one step closer to ending Silas.

Everything was going to be fine.

Maybe if she kept repeating that mantra over in her head enough it would be so and the annoying churning in her stomach that constant worry, would finally go away.

* * *

Kol felt that he shouldn't have been surprised that the lot of vampires he'd allowed to be sacrificed to the newbie Hunter were the first ones to step through the veil and try to overwhelm them. The setting sun had given them the perfect opportunity to strike and in the chaos of decapitation and pulled hearts their group had been separated. It was inevitable with how many of them were in it, but he'd thought they would at least make it out of Athens before that happened.

At least he'd been able to glimpse that Klaus had flashed Henrik away, Caroline moving at his side before the number of vampires trying to overtake them had forced him to grab Bonnie and flash away as well. Rebekah was at his side, following him away from the insanity of the docks, not stopping until they were out of Athens. The other vampires would no doubt be able to follow, but there were two groups to go after, and their speed would never be a match for an Originals.

"We have to go back," Rebekah started as soon as they stopped running, her eyes wide and movements frantic. "Henrik is back there. What if they got him?"

"Nik has him," Kol assured his sister as he let go of Bonnie. "I saw him take off with him and Caroline as well before I grabbed Bonnie."

"What about my Grams?" Bonnie demanded as she glanced back in the direction they'd come from, looking as though she might dart back in that direction at any moment.

"Oh who cares about your grandmother," Rebekah snapped, glaring at the other girl. "It's not as if she even wanted to be here anyway. She'd have happily died and let the rest of them perish as well."

"To stop Silas!" Bonnie protested and Kol stepped into her pathway. "I have to go back."

"I'm sure the others have her," Kol told her, matching each of her steps. "After all, we're all heading to the same location and they need a Bennett to actually get inside of it. I have you." The narrowing of her eyes at that comment shouldn't have amused him as much as it did, but could he help it that riling her up was becoming one of his favorite pastimes? "So that means they'll need her."

"But you didn't see them take her," Bonnie pointed out and Kol shrugged.

"I couldn't see much of Caroline from the angle I had, only that she flashed off as Klaus did. Do you really think she'd leave your grandmother behind?" Kol asked, watching the protest seem to leave Bonnie for a moment. Kol didn't think the other girl would leave the old woman behind. Caroline seemed to value her friends too much to do something so callous. "Now that we have that settled, let's get going."

"No!" Rebekah protested and Kol shook his head, unsurprised that his sister was still being ornery. "We have to go back. We have to meet up with them. Which direction did they head in Kol?"

"We'll meet up with them at Amara's tomb, Rebekah," Kol reminded, already looking around for a mode of transportation. Flashing about would work but they all needed to keep their strength and he was unsure what that kind of momentum for a lengthy period of time could do to a human's body and didn't want to chance weakening Bonnie. Not when he had her where he needed her in regards to her power levels.

"But Henrik," Rebekah continued, and Kol shrugged at that, not as worried as his sister was about their youngest brother.

"He's with Nik, Bekah. He won't let anything happen to him," Kol pointed out.

"Like he didn't let anything happen to him with the wolves?" Rebekah demanded and then gasped, hand clasped to her mouth as she realized what she'd just said. That undercurrent of blame that all of them tried to not have in regards to Henrik's death had come to the surface again. It'd been a tragic accident but the questions of why Klaus hadn't made the littlest of them stay put in the caves haunted them forever.

Kol simply reached over and squeezed his sister's shoulder, ignoring Bonnie as she looked between the two of them. "We'll need a car," Rebekah murmured after a moment, and strode forward, leaving Kol to deal with Bonnie.

"You better hope that we can find a way to unlink them from Silas, Bonnie, or my family will do everything in its power to keep him alive and let him have his reign," Kol told her, knowing that each of the Mikaelson siblings would kill any who tried to take Silas down before Henrik was unlinked from him.

They had lost him once and by some twisted miracle had been given a second chance with him. The circumstances behind it hardly mattered to any of them, but they would do everything in their power to ensure that he was with them for the next thousand years, not caring who had to die for that to happen. It wouldn't matter if the boy would want that either, not in the end to them. All that would matter was having Henrik with them again.

He could see her ready to protest, to remind him of all that would happen if Silas was allowed to do as he pleased. "Don't you want more time with your grandmother?"

"We're not meant to come back from the dead," Bonnie replied after a moment. "Nature always finds a way to make us pay when that happens."

Kol shrugged, well aware of that fact, but all he had to do was look at himself to know that coming back from the dead wasn't as hard a task as some made it out to be. "Think of it this way. If Silas dies and my brother is destroyed with him, nothing in this world will be safe from my family's wrath." They would rain down pain and death; destroy lives as a means to soothe their own pain. "So perhaps think of all the lives you'll be saving while you try to come up with a way to unlink him."

"You'll ruin lives even if he is saved," Bonnie muttered, glaring at him, and Kol grinned. It was the truth. That wouldn't stop even if Henrik did live, but it'd never quite reach the level it would if they lost him again.

"Looks like Rebekah found us our ride, darling," Kol replied, nodding toward the car his sister was waving at them from. "Let's get going."

He grabbed Bonnie's arm before she could protest and flashed them over to it. "Didn't you unlink all of us from my mother's spell?" Kol asked her as they got into the car, remembering that little detail from earlier in the year. "How did you do it when Nik made you?"

"I needed all of your blood to undo it because your mother had used your blood to link all of you in the first place. Silas took them from the Other Side. I don't know if he used blood or something else to bind them all together. Your mother also used Elena's blood because doppelganger blood works as a good binding agent in spells," Bonnie told him, and Kol pursed his lips as he took all of that in.

She was right about the doppelganger blood and considering little Elena Gilbert was on the Other Side perhaps Silas had been able to use her as well or maybe he had used another spell. "I'm sure if you keep using that mind of yours to think it all through that you'll come up with the solution," Kol replied, leaning back as Rebekah began to drive. "After all, you've now got access to more knowledge than you had before. Thanks to all of that power you took hold of. Just need to tap into it."

"I thought I just had the power?" Bonnie murmured and he could see her wariness as she looked over at him, as she started to worry over what she'd done to be able to take down Silas.

"Oh no, darling. You got all of it when you harnessed the power that was released to wander in the world. Power, knowledge." Kol grinned at her, ignoring Rebekah who was glancing back at them and rolling her eyes. "Couple of other items as well but we'll get to those in time. Let's focus on you working through what the others might have known."

"But how?" Bonnie started and Kol's smile twisted, becoming anything but pleasant as he grabbed her hand, gaze locking with her own.

"Da mihi potestatem, et simul cum Spiritu [1]," he murmured, enjoying how her eyes widened in fear at the Latin words before they turned white and rolled back as her body stiffened, his own eyes mirroring her as the link formed.

The problem with taking power that was wandering in the world trying to get back to its rightful bloodline was that it could be tapped into by the one who'd lost that power if they were still around. Usually they were not or if they were they didn't know the spell to do so, but Kol did. Power lost to him when he'd been turned into a vampire by his mother, drifting around and waiting to be taken again by a Mikaelson, something that could never happen considering their bloodline had been extinguished that night. It'd taken him centuries to figure it out; countless witches he'd gotten in good with before he finally found a spell that would work.

And then the witch had died on him before he'd been able to capitalize on all he'd learned.

But he now had control of Bonnie Bennett and whatever she could see he would be able to see and he was not about to let all of the knowledge she had gained go to waste. Especially if there could be insight into how to save Henrik. The fact that he was able to dabble a little with magic again by controlling her actions was a definite bonus that he'd be taking advantage of whenever he could.

* * *

What Klaus wanted to do was rip the witch's vocal chords from her throat and then use them to strangle her, to watch the life seep out of her and for her being to simply cease to exist. If not for Henrik's presence or the fact that they might need the witch alive to be able to break the damn linking spell between his brother and Silas, he might have done so. Especially with the judgmental looks that she continuously directed Caroline's way, with those lovely little barbs about some loves not being right for you. He wanted her to eat those words, to choke on them, but even he couldn't get everything that he wanted.

Henrik was far more important than silencing the witch and the fact that Caroline didn't seem to be listening to what the woman had to say was also helping. If the words had swayed her away from him, had torn down any of the progress that he'd accomplished in the last few weeks it would be a different story, but he'd let the witch have her snide remarks and her infuriating looks. The time would come where he would be able to rip out her heart and deliver it to her granddaughter. He simply needed to bide his time.

"How are you feeling, little brother?" Klaus asked as he finally sat down beside Henrik.

It was the first moment they'd truly had together since he had been brought back and Klaus wasn't sure precisely what it was that he should say or how he should react to the boy. Comfort was still a foreign concept to him and while he'd been learning how to dole it out to Caroline he was unsure if the same methods would work on Henrik. He also didn't know if the gesture would be appreciated. After all, he was the reason the boy had died. Ripped apart, crying in pain that wouldn't go away until he breathed his last breath, while he'd been able to do nothing but try and race him home to be healed.

_I could save you now_.

He could ensure that Henrik never died, give him a little blood, turn him into a vampire and keep the boy at his side for eternity. The magic would go away but that was a worthy sacrifice for an eternity with his family, wasn't it? Kol had lost his when their mother had turned them; he'd be able to help the boy deal with those repercussions.

"I am much better now," Henrik told him, offering up the smile that had haunted Klaus' dreams for more years than he'd ever remember. The voice was the same, though he much preferred it this way than in his nightmares or how it'd been during those fifty-two years of enduring the Hunter's Curse when his brother screamed at him, wanting to know why he hadn't been fast enough to save him.

"We'll rest here for a few hours before continuing on our journey. I am certain Kol and Rebekah will meet us at our destination," Klaus continued, watching his brother tear into the bread on the plate.

"I think they will too," Henrik murmured, and Klaus watched as the boy frowned before biting his lip, a telltale sign that Henrik was trying to figure out what to say. "I did not watch all of you for very long on the Other Side." Klaus tensed at that. He'd heard tales of what it was like beyond the veil, what they were all able to see and do from there, but he hadn't ever thought about what Henrik might have seen them do. He might not change a second of his life, might not regret any of his kills, but that didn't mean he wished for his little brother to have witnessed them. "Not after mother and father betrayed you. I did not want to see what would happen next. I did look in every so often but I stopped after a while."

"After they betrayed me?" Klaus asked, looking up at Sheila who was watching them and was thankful that she was unable to understand a single word they were saying. The language they spoke had long since been altered and while there were those who spoke a version of it in the present day, Henrik's dialect would make it difficult for them to understand.

"Mother took away your wolf," Henrik replied, his gaze focused on the soup that he dipped his bread into. "I believe that is why they did not try to hurt you that night."

It was amazing how just a few words could make it near impossible to swallow, how much emotion could clog up such a simple ability. "I believe that is the reason, yes," Klaus finally managed to get out, not quite sure what else to say to that. Did he beg for forgiveness now? Henrik's death was the one regret he would never be able to shed, no matter how hard he had tried to bury it.

Henrik looked over at him, too much wisdom in his young eyes, but that had always been the case. "I do not blame you, Nik. You did not know." The hug that came next was unexpected and Klaus froze, body still unaccustomed to such contact, but eventually he wrapped his arm around his brother, holding him closely. It didn't matter if Sheila could see this vulnerability. She would not live past the week. "I should not have followed you."

"It is not your fault either, Henrik," Klaus tried to reassure him. It was no one's fault, only circumstances that had led to a terrible tragedy and altered their family's lives forever. His chest tightened, heart feeling as though someone was squeezing it tightly, the emotions that hit him in that moment seeking to overwhelm him. He didn't know what to do with it didn't know how to lessen it, to make it go away and was unsure if he truly wanted it to do so.

He'd lived a thousand years with his other siblings and while they loved one another in their own twisted ways, bonds strengthening and distorting at the same time, none of it quite matched up to this love he felt for the youngest of them. The urge to protect was still there, to possess and ensure loyalty, that the boy wouldn't dare try to leave him but there was a vulnerability to it as well, a gentleness he hadn't associated with the love of his siblings in centuries.

"You should rest," Klaus told the boy, pulling away from him, needing to distance himself some. "You need to gather your strength."

Henrik simply nodded as he rose and Klaus ignored the witch's following gaze as he led the boy up to the house's bedrooms. "You do not seem as lost as you used to," Henrik informed him before he headed off to curl up on one of the beds.

Klaus didn't know how to reply to that, annoyance trying to win out as being referred to as lost at any point in his life. He equated that with being vulnerable; he was the Original Hybrid and before his wolf had been released again he'd been an Original Vampire. They were not lost. It was easy enough to rationalize away that Henrik simply didn't understand what he'd seen though, especially if he'd only seen glimpses here or there, and the boy was still so young. So Klaus closed the door, not wanting to push the issue with him and turned his attention toward the other noises in the house. He heard the shower still running in one of the other ones, letting him know of Caroline's location, while in another room the family who owned the house sat, compelled to remain there until they left in the morning.

The two of them were going to need to feed; he would not allow them to be anything but at peek strength. If today was an indication of what could follow they couldn't afford not to be. He headed into the bedroom Caroline had headed into after leaving the shower, gaze traveling over her towel clad body as she turned, arching a brow at him.

"Excuse you, go get your own room," she told him, her tone light and teasing as she shook her head. She was looking through the closet, trying to find something that would work for her to wear.

"You need to feed," Klaus replied, enjoying the way she flicked through the clothes, none of them quite up to her standards, no doubt pouting over the fact.

"So do you," she murmured, still not looking back at him. "And I'm guessing you're seeing the family in the other room as a delicious smorgasbord, right?" He could hear her distaste for the idea, watching as she pulled out a pair of pants and a blue shirt from the closet. Rather dull choices but they couldn't exactly be picky at the moment.

"They do have what we need," Klaus pointed out with a shrug. Blood was blood for him.

"We're already taking their, like, house from them which is probably going to put them on like a dangerous path because whoever is so following might stop here. We should at least let them keep their strength." Taking blood would weaken them quite a bit but that hardly mattered to him. "They deserve a fighting chance."

He didn't see it that way. They were nothing more than cattle but he wouldn't push her to feed from them. He would still do so, but there was a far more pleasurable way to ensure Caroline got the proper amount of blood that she needed. "What's that look for?" she continued, pursing her lips at him and he arched a brow.

"I'm unsure what look you might be referring to," Klaus replied, enjoying her little huff as she put down the jeans and shirt on the nearby dresser.

"That 'oh I'm diabolical' look. With the dangerous smirk and the 'I've got a billion plans to go with my billion years' gaze," she muttered before turning to look back at him.

He grinned at that, loving the knowledge that she had apparently named his looks, that she'd spent enough time analyzing him to know the minute differences in his expressions. Was this a glimpse into their eternity? This lovely banter with her in a towel that barely covered her body before they headed off to see some ancient piece of architecture or perhaps decimated a group that was threatening their lives. Was this what living was? This anticipation, this warmth that he felt as he watched her move, as he took all of her in.

He'd lived for centuries and never felt it before. Had plundered and destroyed, created and learned more than he'd ever be able to explain, and while his obsession over breaking his curse, at chasing Katerina and finding a new doppelganger, to finally have his wolf released had sustained him for long time. Even the fear and fury from running from his father had done that, nothing matched this desire and contentment that he felt while simply being in the same room as Caroline.

"I'm still not going to drink from that family," she continued, clucking her tongue at him, hands on her hips as she stared at him, trying to show how unmoving she was in regard to that.

"Then where would you like it?" Klaus asked, unable to help smirking at her confusion. "Wrist, though you hardly get a good pull from there. Neck?" He tapped his, watching her realize what he meant. "Thigh? Femoral artery is located right here, sweetheart. Quite a lovely place to drink from."

Her eyes had darkened at that and he could smell her desire, see the tips of her fangs sliding out as she stared at him, frozen in place. He was standing in front of her in seconds, brushing damp hair off of her neck as he invaded her personal space. "Rather a favorite place of mine, truth be told," he continued, enjoying her little moan at that, knowing that her blood lust was taking over. "What will it be?"

Caroline shoved him back at that and Klaus let her move him, back of his knees hitting the bed and he sat down on it. A wicked smile spread on his face because she had followed him as he moved, knocking him down against the bed. The monster was out to play, golden curls accentuating her vampire features as she hovered over him, towel slipping down a bit before she attacked his neck. The urge to bite her back was strong, but he wouldn't tonight, didn't need his blood to work on countering the poison instead of simply giving her added strength.

His hands roamed down her back, cupping her ass through the towel before sliding under the fabric of it as he flipped them so she lay beneath him. Caroline never let go of his neck, though her hands left his hair, one hand clasping tightly to his shoulder, while the other hand tangled in his necklaces. His hips pressed into hers, pleased when her legs lifted, wrapping around him, letting his body press against hers, erection straining against the denim, feeling her slick against the fabric of his jeans. It wasn't enough but it would do for now, he'd make it.

The knot of her towel had already come undone from their movements and Klaus brushed the material out of the way, needing to feel her skin. She cried out as his hand palmed her breast, teeth scraping against his neck as he massaged it, thankful when her head dropped back against the bed, allowing him more ability to maneuver as he wanted.

One hand was still cupping her ass, holding her to him as they continued to arch against one another. His blunt teeth scraped across her chest, bringing out more moans before he finally enveloped a nipple in his mouth, barely registering her gasp or the nails she clawed into his back as he drug and sucked while continuing to fuck her through his clothing.

"Klaus," she moaned, hands in his hair again, tugging at his curls, head rolling side to side as she whimpered, urging him on.

Her moans increased, practically chanting his name as he switched to the other breast, alternating between sucking, biting, and laving as he felt her nearing her peak. He easily captured her mouth, hands moving to grasp her own, pinning them to either side of her head as he felt himself reaching that precipice and easily fell over it with her, entire body straining as he swallowed her cries of pleasure.

He'd need to get another pair of jeans and his blood lust still needed to be satiated but the feeling of Caroline beneath him, thoroughly satisfied was worth waiting to do so. The fact that she didn't move to cover up when he rolled off of her but instead shifted to curl up against him, stretching out like a contented cat before resting her head on his chest was a definite bonus. Caroline Forbes didn't love him, but give him enough time and Klaus was certain that she would. He was unsure how long it would take but the tenderness she displayed back on the boat, her trust as she drifted off to sleep against him had him believing that it would only be a matter of time.

Perhaps now wasn't the time to be thinking about such things. There was so much more for him to worry about, to try and strategize through to ensure there were multiple scenarios for taking Silas down, but it was hard to hold onto any of those things when he was holding his forever in his arms and his little brother was sleeping soundly down the hall.

Not even Sheila Bennett muttering about monsters loving monsters down below would ruin this moment for him.

* * *

Katherine sighed, leaning back against the chair as she gave it another whirl, spinning around until it stopped. She couldn't get away, practically under lock and key, and all of her plans and plotting seemed to be for nothing at the moment. She needed to come up with something new, one that got her away from Elijah and maybe hole up somewhere while the rest of them all worked on ensuring the world didn't become some crazy new place, one where survival would be infinitely harder.

She wasn't stupid. It wasn't only Klaus and his siblings who'd screwed over thousands of people that were on the Other Side thirsty for revenge. She had her own share of those that were no doubt waiting to get the drop on her, to end her existence after she'd left them to the wolves or purposefully thrown them to them. If it was her life or someone else's she was always going to look out for number one.

Anyone who didn't was a fool and most likely dead, waiting to come back to exact that little bit of vengeance.

She tipped back the vodka bottle, trying to get the last drop of it out, dropping it to the floor when nothing fell. "You could try to be helpful," Elijah commented from his place at the table, rapidly turning pages as he poured over the grimoires looking for some spell or another.

"Pretty sure prisoners aren't supposed to help out their captors," she told him, turning the chair so she could look at him, cocking her head to the side as he looked pointedly at her, clearly not seeing their situation that way. "Besides, you've got Thing One and Thing Two there spilling over your books. More than enough hands."

Katherine walked back over to the case that held the alcohol, frowning when she noted that there was none left. Typical. Now how was she supposed to occupy her time? "You look starved. Why don't I slip out and get us all something to eat?" she suggested, knowing it wouldn't happen but she needed entertainment and if that was only going to happen by annoying the others then so be it. Maybe she could find a weak spot and exploit it.

She already knew Elijah's vulnerable points, but unfortunately the fact they were trying to find something that would help out one of his family members meant he wouldn't be giving up this quest for anything. Nothing would distract him. Not even her. Case in point the fact that he didn't even bother to look up from his current text, completely ignoring her.

Katherine walked around the room, knowing she'd never make it if she tried to run. Vincent was far older than her and it wasn't like she could take on Vaughn without severe consequences. No snapping necks with that one. Plus Elijah would never let her get a foot out of the room before he had her slammed back down and no doubt shackled for the remainder of their time at the house. Usually she'd be all for him tying her up but considering the circumstances she figured it wouldn't be as pleasurable as it usually was for her.

"Either help, Katerina, or find something to do that requires less talking," Elijah suggested, lifting up a book for her to read, and she sank back down onto the chair, strumming her fingers along the leather as she mulled over her options.

She draped herself over the chair again, staring up at the ceiling as she worked over her plans, tried to formulate precisely  _how_  to use the blonde cheerleader to garner her freedom. She wasn't stupid, one wrong step and Klaus would simply pull her heart out. She needed to figure out how to make it all work to her advantage, which probably meant getting Caroline on her side. Pretty big task considering she'd smothered the girl to death and then threatened her life a few times.

Simple enough to get over, right? It wasn't like her and Matt were even together anymore. Her threats were nothing like what Klaus could dole out, nor did they really hold up against what he'd apparently done if the whole Tyler Lockwood being dead part was true. Unfortunately she wasn't all that sure Caroline would see it that way. People were always so touchy if you were their killer, even if becoming a vampire seemed to have worked out pretty well for the girl.

Katherine bolted upright at the shifting in the air, a shiver running down her spine as her senses all seemed to come alive.  _Something_ was off but she wasn't sure what precisely and the others seemed to sense it as well if their sudden looks toward the doorway meant anything.

They didn't know where the veil was thinning at but so far it hadn't seemed to be doing so around Vincent's place. There had been no attack and the area was supposed to be shielded, though Katherine doubted if that was true any longer. After all, his witches had apparently abandoned him to follow Silas if what she'd overheard in the car was correct.

The books all snapped shut, wind picking up out of nowhere in the room, lights flickering as the four of them stood, trying to get a location on where the spell originated from. It had to be magic, that was the only explanation for the sudden phenomena, and the rising chorus of chanting confirmed that.

They all prepared to attack but were knocked down by the spell that ignited the synapses in their head, causing excruciating pain, except for Vaughn who was looking for something to use as a weapon. Elijah was pushing through the pain to rise, picking up the closest object to use as a weapon.

"You know you cannot win this," he informed them, voice calm and collected like it always seemed to be. "Silas used you and yet you still seem to think you'll be given power, control over this world when it will only belong to him."

"Better to take you with us to the grave," a voice called from the hallway and Katherine rolled her eyes at that. Fools.

"You seem to have been misinformed. Your usual tricks will do nothing to me," Elijah replied and flung the book through the swinging door, watching it embed itself into the nearest witch, effectively killing her as the door swung to close again. "I will give you a chance to leave here now and live out your days as you see fit but continue this and I will kill every last one of you."

"A noble choice," a voice murmured from behind them, one that seemed to cause Elijah to stiffen and Katherine looked over at the older woman who was holding what looked like a white oak stake. That wasn't possible. They were all gone. "But you always did try to be the righteous one, didn't you? Or at least play that role to make yourself feel better."

She stepped forward but disappeared out of their view, as if she'd gone back into the veil and Elijah whipped around, trying to figure out where she had gone, what was going on. "This is hardly the time for any of your games, mother," Elijah started. "Have you not seen? Henrik is alive. He has another chance to live again."

"And I will not let the rest of you tarnish that chance," Esther replied as she stepped into their reality again, driving the stake into Elijah's chest. "You will not corrupt him as well."

Katherine screamed, almost stepping forward as Elijah fell, bursting into flames as the stake took effect. The woman was gone and the chanting had ceased but none of that did Elijah any good as his body decayed and burned, nothing able to stop this death.

Part of her yearned to stay, to figure out what to do with the body, to see if there was a chance that he might return as others seemed to, but Katherine Pierce was first and foremost a survivor. She couldn't dismiss the chance to escape while Vincent and Vaughn looked on in horror at Elijah's burning corpse.

She fled.

* * *

[1]Da mihi potestatem, et simul cum Spiritu: Spirit combine with me and give me the power

 


	29. Chapter 29

_I don't care if I fall in love with a devil, as long as that devil will love me the way he loves hell.-Unknown_

* * *

This was a high that Kol didn't think he'd ever come down from again. It far surpassed any of his kills, any of his taunting and manipulations. He hadn't felt this connection to everything around him since he'd been human, but it wasn't the oneness with nature that he craved. His mind had always strayed toward the darker parts of magic, something his mother had condoned but tried to stifle in him from a young age. It'd never have worked and most likely if he'd stayed human he would have done more than dabble in those darker ways, getting himself cut off from his family in the process.

Much like his vampire self had through the centuries whenever his behavior was far too erratic for his siblings liking.

"Kol," Rebekah started again, her impatience only seeming to grow, but he continued to ignore her.

He needed to concentrate on accessing spirits on the Other Side at the moment. Not just any spirits, too many of them wouldn't lift a finger to help him after what he'd done, most likely seeing it as a sign of betrayal. Couldn't blame them for that when it was one. But there were a few on the Other Side who he'd known during their lives, who he'd traveled with and spilled secrets into their ears while helping them spill blood to gain more power. Those would be the ones who would help him.

Mostly because he'd orchestrated it so they would have to if he ever was able to gain access to his magic again. A few because they were enamored enough with him to think themselves in love, something he'd happily exploited over the centuries.

"You with magic is a recipe for disaster," his sister muttered and Kol glanced over at Rebekah, shaking his finger at her.

"Now now, sister. Your jealousy is showing." He grinned at her annoyed pout, watching her slump back against the tree that Bonnie was also against, still unconscious. "But do shut up, Bekah. I can't exactly concentrate if you keep on yapping at me." If this had been a cartoon Kol was certain he'd have seen steam start to spray out of Rebekah's ears, but he held up a hand before she could reply. "Remember. I'm trying to see how to unlink Henrik. Save his life."

And just like that the fight seemed to deflate from her, the hope for keeping the younger boy with them far outweighing any perceived slight. Kol turned his attention back to communicating with the Other Side, knowing it was something Bonnie had been able to do back in Mystic Falls. The two of them were linked now because of the spell he'd had her do to gain more power and the one he'd enacted on her a few hours before.

Kol blinked his concentration breaking as he looked over at the unconscious witch. He'd learned that particular spell from a Bennett witch, one that seemed to have been passed down through the ages. No doubt Bonnie would have learned of it if Sheila hadn't died before imparting all of her wisdom to the girl. It might even have originated with Qestiyah. A spell that she would have happily shared with the man she loved.

"Do I even want to know which one you're speaking to if you're looking like that?" Rebekah asked lips twisted in disdain as she looked over at him. "Please tell me it's not that annoying brunette with the large teeth. She was ghastly. Carmen or something like that."

"Carlotta," Kol corrected. He was almost sure that was the one she meant. Exceedingly dull but the girl had known her magic. "I think I know how to break the link between Henrik and Silas."

"Do not joke about such a thing, Kol Mikaelson," Rebekah warned, and he tsked at her doubt in him.

"I'll need to confirm with Henrik what Silas might have said but I'm betting it's the same one I used on her," Kol nodded over at Bonnie who was beginning to stir. "Nice to see you back in the land of the living, darling."

He laughed as she sent out the spell that should have him on his knees and clutching his head in pain. "You'll find that won't quite work against me anymore."

"What the hell did you do to me?" Bonnie demanded, and Kol waggled his eyebrows at her, pleased that she wasn't cowering in fear but instead trying to hold her own. The strong ones were always far more amusing than the meek.

"I helped you out, Bonnie, don't you remember? Made sure you had more than enough power to take on Silas," Kol reminded as he looked over at Rebekah who was rolling her eyes, muttering something about 'Nik and now this'. "And then I decided it was time to take my payment."

"Payment?" Bonnie asked, eyes narrowing further.

"Oh come now. You didn't think I was helping you out of the goodness of my heart. All magic has a price, surely you know that by now," Kol replied, unable to stop grinning. He enjoyed the way it only seemed to anger her more, riling her up.

"I thought you wanted Silas taken down. That's why you helped," she muttered, shaking her head and no doubt mentally berating herself for trusting him for even a second.

"Partly, yes. I do want the bastard gone. Messes up so many of my plans if he lives." Kol clapped his hands together, ready to keep on with their journey, though he knew a few explanations were probably in order. "I've been looking for the opportunity to get someone to take on my lost magic—though stripped away is a more appropriate term—and you were so easily manipulated into doing so."

He caught her hand before she got anywhere close to connecting with his face. "Temper temper."

"Why won't my magic hurt you?" Bonnie demanded, and Kol released his hold on her.

"Because we're linked, darling. You'll always have a piece of my magic in you. Annoying little side effect of it all but I have access to mine now." And that was the part that mattered to him. He didn't doubt for a second that he would be able to keep on manipulating her if he needed to.

"I will find a way to unlink us," Bonnie told him. No doubt it was supposed to be a threat and Kol didn't doubt that she'd be able to do so at some point, especially if she overheard what he'd need to do in order to free Henrik from Silas' link. It mattered little to him though. Unlinking wouldn't strip him of his magic again and he knew far more about dark magic than she ever would. He'd happily use every bit of it against her too if she dared to try and take him down.

There would be consequences, there always were, but Kol was more than happy to pass them off to another unsuspecting witch. There would always be those power hungry enough to stupidly follow him. He looked at Bonnie who was seething with anger. There were even those foolish enough to believe he didn't have another agenda or who were too far up against a wall to be able to turn down his help and none of that was his problem.

"I'm sure you will, darling," Kol replied, smiling brightly. "And maybe then you'll let me show you the benefits of dark magic." Her responding glare and the sudden swirling wind around him only seemed to widen his grin.

"Must we do this dance?" Rebekah demanded as she stood, obviously over the display between the two of them. "We need to check in with Nik and Elijah and preferably get to Amara's tomb before Silas figures out that he requires a Bennett for the destruction of the veil."

"I'm not going anywhere with either of you," Bonnie informed them, and Kol tried not to laugh at that answer. "How do I know that you'll even keep to the plan this time? You already screwed it up once."

"Family above all, little Bennett. Something you'd understand if your mommy had actually stuck around and taught you correctly about magic," Rebekah replied with a shrug before clutching her head in pain. Kol waved his hand; easily disrupting Bonnie's spell and stepped into Rebekah's path before she could retaliate. "It's not my fault she can't deal with the truth. You were all sheltered in Mystic Falls. Welcome to the real world."

"We all want Silas dead, Bonnie. And the Other Side to be disconnected from this world," Kol reminded. "Not interested in our parents coming around again for another round of kill all their children. It got old after the first time."

"I don't trust any of you," Bonnie muttered, but the wind stopped whipping around them.

"Good. Means you're learning," Kol chirped, winking at her, thoroughly amused by her annoyed huff. "Now, let's get ourselves a car and head onto the rendezvous point."

They'd have forced her cooperation if needed, easily knocked her out and headed off but not having to cart around an unconscious girl was easier in the long run. It also meant he might be able to tempt her with some darker magic along the way as well and wouldn't that be fun.

* * *

Silas frowned as the next witch expired in front of him. The task he'd set out for her to do had been too much for her body to handle, just as it had been for the countless witches he'd sought out in the last day. Every single one of them had been unable to wield the amount of power that was needed to take down the Other Side for good.

At least he'd been able to feed off their dying energy, to add a little to his own depleting supply, but all of it would prove to be useless if he was unable to finish what he'd started. Qestiyah deserved to have every last remnant of her destroyed, from her bloodline to the annoying pocket universe she'd created for dead supernaturals. He wanted to obliterate any trace of her existence from the world and he wouldn't rest until he'd done so, until Amara was freed from the Other Side and reunited with him.

Perhaps he could find Qestiyah as well and rip her heart out, letting her know that she'd failed and he'd persevered, that he and Amara would live happily forever while she would have nothing.

None of that would be possible though if he couldn't destroy the Other Side and currently none of the witches he'd found were able to create so much as a crack in the veil. Nor could they seem to even extend the already breaking parts of it. They were  _useless._  He'd never handled anyone being useless before he'd been entombed. Two thousand years of waiting and planning had left him even more easily angered at anyone who was unable to complete the tasks he'd doled out. His temper was getting the better of him and perhaps he needed to slow down, to think it all out and figure out what was wrong, but his patience was wearing thin.

"Why is this not working?" Silas demanded of the last witch in the Coven he'd found. The rest of her group lay dead at her feet, the older woman watching him with wide eyes, no doubt trying to come up with a way to stay his hand.

"I do not know," the woman replied, shaking with fear as he gripped her shoulders, sneering at her. He did not like those words and he narrowed his eyes, ready to bleed the magic out of her and into him. "Perhaps it is like nature's balance."

He arched a brow at that, nodding for her to continue. "If Qestiyah created the Other Side then maybe it needs to be one of her own to destroy it," the woman continued and he frowned at that, not liking the implication at all. "Everyone knows the Bennett line is one of the most powerful lines to exist, maybe even the most powerful one. There are very few lines that have been passed on as long as theirs has."

And he'd gotten the lot of them killed in the last few weeks, purposefully destroying Qestiyah's legacy. Thankfully there were at least two left in the world that might be of service. One was the older one linked to him but Silas knew she didn't have the resources to do what he'd need. The younger one though, she'd had a lovely little power boost given to her and he didn't doubt for a moment that she'd be able to get the job done.

He grinned at the still trembling woman, stroking her cheek as she swallowed. "Seems you can still be of service to me."

A little hope seemed to spark in her eyes and he laughed at that, the sound cruel and causing the woman to flinch. "I'll need a location spell completed."

"And after I've done it?" the woman inquired, the hopefulness she'd displayed a moment ago seeming to waver.

"Then your usefulness will have run out and I will kill you," Silas replied, not one to sugar coat it, nails biting into the woman's cheek. He enjoyed the streaks of red and the fear he could sense coming from her. Soon the entire world would tremble at his feet. "And if you do not do as I need I will force every single member of your family that is not here today to kill one another in some gruesome manner." It was always amazing how quickly others could be swayed with threats to their loved ones. "Think of this service as a way to ensure your family's continued survival."

He patted her cheek and stepped back, nodding for her to start working. "I give you an hour before I kill you, carry out my plans for your family, and then head off to find a more competent witch."

Perhaps he'd still carry out his plans for her family if she succeeded but there was no reason to bring that part up now. He'd deal with that outcome in an hour if he truly needed to but at least he felt that he was finally one step closer to revenge on Qestiyah and even closer to being reunited with his beautiful Amara. He couldn't wait to show her the world and all it had to offer them now.

* * *

They had gotten back on the road before the sun had started to rise, taking some changes of clothes from the family and a few other necessities for Sheila and Henrik. Caroline made a mental note of the family's address, wanting to be able to pay them back for what they'd driven away with, hopeful that they would still be alive to be repaid when everything was over. The likelihood of that was up in the air. No doubt those who had attacked them back in Athens were on their trail and if they were able to follow then they would find the family. Whether or not they'd bother with a bunch of humans who wouldn't be able to help give up any real information was something she was unsure about. She hoped they wouldn't be harmed for unintentionally harboring them but there wasn't much she could to stop that from happening.

_Collateral damage._

Funny how that word seemed to keep cropping up in the past few weeks. She didn't like how she was able to see why it was needed, why some lives were simply not valued as much as the next one. Didn't like how easy it was to walk away from that family knowing that their fate might not be a good one.

What could she possibly do for them though? Compelling them not to let any strangers in the house could cause more harm than good. Compelling them to leave the area for a bit might also cause trouble for them. All she could do was walk away and hope for the best.

She was in the back seat this time with Henrik by her side. Sheila was up front, doling out directions towards where they needed to head, while Klaus drove. Caroline could feel Henrik's gaze on her, that inkling she always seemed to have when someone was watching her spiking, and she looked over at him, reciprocating the smile he was offering. He kept doing that to her, soulful gaze directed at her as he looked her over, almost as if he was trying to figure her out, as if she was a puzzle for him to put together.

It was unnerving and at the same time completely familiar, reminding her of how Klaus looked at her, though without the romantic, lustful undertones. The boy's was pure curiosity and Caroline had a feeling that if they were actually able to hold a conversation together that it wouldn't make her feel so awkward.

"Have you given more thought to how you'll be unlinking you and my brother from Silas?" Klaus asked from the front, redirecting Caroline's attention to him. Henrik's seemed to drift to him as well, lips pursing as he tried to make out what was happening.

At least she understood what Klaus and Sheila were saying. Caroline had a feeling being unable to understand anyone but Klaus speak was a daunting experience. Obviously, Henrik would have seen the changes in the world if he'd watched the world from the Other Side, but seeing the changes and actually experiencing them were very different things.

"There isn't a way," Sheila remarked, not even bothering to look over at Klaus, her eyes remaining on the road.

Caroline sighed at that, knowing the response wasn't going to sit well with Klaus. "There's always a way. Every bit of magic has something to counter it. Isn't that what you told us, witch? Why the cure for Silas won't work on my kind and the white oak stake wouldn't work on him. If he could link you to him then there will be a way to unlink you. Balance of nature," Klaus replied, his gaze hardening as he looked over at Sheila for a moment.

The older woman tapped her fingers along the open window space, still staring out of it. "You're asking me to do dark magic and we both know that every bit of dark magic has consequences none of us could foresee," Sheila pointed out, and Klaus shrugged, clearly not caring about what the consequences could be.

Dark magic had created the predicament with Silas. Caroline was pretty sure dark magic also had a hand in the creating of vampires. It definitely had in the suppression of Klaus' wolf side; otherwise three sacrifices wouldn't have been needed to restore it.

"You're hiding more than you know from us and I do not appreciate being kept in the dark," Klaus told her, gripping the steering wheel tightly before steering the car off the road and parking it. The sea greeted them to the right and might have been something to be appreciated if they were viewing it in better circumstances. "You know it will take dark magic to unlink the lot of you. No doubt you heard the spell he used to do the binding when he brought you to him. In fact…" Klaus turned his attention from Sheila to the back, looking over at his younger brother. "I'd say my brother might have heard it as well but his knowledge of magic nowhere encompasses what you know."

He looked back at Sheila and Caroline didn't like the maliciousness in his gaze. "Nik?" Henrik started, no doubt sensing the unease that had swept through the car. He might not be able to understand their words but he seemed to be apt at reading their body language.

"Ingenting å være bekymret, lillebror," Klaus replied, glancing back with an almost reassuring smile. [1]

Henrik didn't seem to believe him, his frown deepening as he looked over at Caroline. "Caroline?" he asked, seeming to want the same assurance from her.

"Klaus we should just keep driving," Caroline suggested, trying to offer up a smile to the boy again but it wasn't really working. "Badgering isn't going to get what you want done. If there's a spell then we'll get it. But do you really want Henrik to see you threaten her? Because we so both know that's what you're gonna do and he might not be able to understand what you're gonna say but he can so pick up on what's happening here."

She didn't wait for him to reply, her attention turning to Sheila. "And hiding things isn't helping anyone. You want their help to take down Silas and save the world and all they want in return is for their brother to get a second chance. Maybe you don't want that and that's fine. Don't unlink you then. But if you're deliberately not giving an answer on how it can get done then you're putting the whole stop Silas thing in danger of not happening because there's so no way they're going to do anything if they think they'll lose him again. They're kind of seriously possessive and stubborn."

Caroline didn't doubt for a moment that the Mikaelson family would ruin plans to prolong everything in order to save Henrik. Rebekah had already ruined the first set of plans and if she hadn't, Caroline had a feeling that one of the others would have after a few moments. "It is not that simple, child," Sheila replied, and Klaus looked ready to throttle her but his phone rang, diverting his attention for a moment.

"Is it ever that simple? There are witches and vampires and freaking hybrids in this car. The things from stories are freaking real. Nothing in our lives is simple anymore. But I don't see what's wrong with giving a family hope." How could it be wrong to give someone a second chance at life?

Though her thoughts drifted to Elena at that. Didn't her friend deserve that as well though? Except considering what Elena had done, Caroline didn't think her friend would be able to cope with getting another chance.

"I suggest you locate where my brother is, Vincent, and do not call me back until you do," Klaus replied into the phone and before anyone could react to that he had his hand locked around Sheila's throat, shoving her into the seat.

Caroline and Henrik screamed at that, both shouting his name, wondering what the hell was happening. "My brother is dead and I will not play games with you anymore, witch. Either unlink Henrik from Silas now or I will call Kol, who I've no doubt has stuck to your granddaughter like glue, and tell him to break her. Not kill, oh no, it'll be much worse than that and you can travel the world knowing that you could have saved your granddaughter from becoming an empty shell if you'd done as requested."

"Bonnie has to do it," Sheila struggled to get out, her words strained as she glared at him. She didn't even try to struggle. Her hands had grabbed onto his at first out of instinct but she'd quickly dropped them into her lap. "She's only one with the power level to be able to undo what Silas did. So you can't do a thing to her or your brother will perish along with the rest of us."

Klaus picked up his phone again. "Then you'll have no problem relaying the spell to Kol so he can ensure she's able to do it," he told her, already dialing the number. "And remember if you lie and Henrik dies, I will make good on my promise to destroy your granddaughter and nothing will be able to stop that from happening."

"She'll never forgive if you do that," Sheila told him and Caroline swallowed at that, knowing that the woman was referring to her. "You'll lose everything."

"For a while perhaps. But eternity stretches on for a long time, Sheila Bennett, and the memories of those Caroline loved in Mystic Falls will fade with it." He sounded so sure of himself and Caroline glared at him, wanting to deny all of it, wanting to be able to say that she would never forget it or forgive it, but what would time do? Would she still hate him for it after five hundred years? Would she want to hold onto that kind of anger for that long and let it fester and seep into her bones? What would that kind of darkness do to her? "Besides, Caroline knows the importance of family. Is it really my fault if you deliberately mislead us? Then I'm simply doling out the appropriate consequences for doing so."

"It's your fault if you hurt Bonnie," Caroline bit out, continuing to glare at him as Klaus glanced back at her. "It's not Bonnie's fault if her grandmother doesn't help you. Bonnie's been doing everything she can to help with what's happening. Don't you dare touch her. I do know the importance of family but she's my family, Klaus." Not by blood but Bonnie was family to her too. Caroline wouldn't allow anyone to hurt her if she could help it.

His lips twisted at that, obviously not liking her words. "Well, I suppose we should all hope that Sheila here isn't foolish with her choices." He looked away from her then. "Ah, Kol, I take it that you have the younger Bennett with you?" Klaus arched a brow, releasing his hold on Sheila's neck as he leaned back in his seat, listening to what his brother said. "Well then. That certainly changes things. We'll meet you at the rendezvous point."

Klaus hung up and Caroline rubbed her temples, trying to work out what information could have brought about his obvious mood swing. "Looks as though we won't need to be relying on you to do anything," Klaus informed them and maybe before the threats had been doled out that would have been a really good thing. It was still good that there was a way to save Henrik but it didn't make up for his threats against Bonnie.

Henrik was out of the car and heading down to the beach, away from them and Caroline found herself needing to get away from Klaus as well. "Where the bloody hell do you think you're going?" Klaus demanded, and she shook her head at him.

"I'm sure if you replay what just happened like not even thirty seconds ago you can think of why we don't really want to be around you right now," Caroline murmured and headed off after the boy, leaving Sheila and Klaus in the car.

Henrik had stopped near the water, plopping down onto the sand and glaring out at the sea in front of them. Caroline sat down beside him, not really knowing what to say but she had a feeling nothing needed to be said. It must have been a stark contrast from the man he'd known to what Klaus had become, a hard reality to stomach, but one that couldn't simply be wished away.

"Nik," the boy started, nose scrunching in annoyance at the utterance before sighing.

Caroline simply nodded, knowing that feeling of annoyance well. "Yep."

Henrik turned his attention to the sand in front of him, mouth opening for a moment before closing again. She had a feeling he wanted to say something else but knew it wouldn't be understood. Caroline hesitated for a moment, uncertain how he'd react, before gently picking up one of his hands and giving it a squeeze. He squeezed back, offering up a small smile before looking back at the sand.

He simply shook his head again, releasing another sigh before resting his elbows on his knees. Maybe she couldn't understand his language but his body language was clear as day, showing just how lost and disappointed he was currently feeling.

Caroline could hear Klaus muttering by the car, no doubt fuming over the two of them walking away, but she ignored him, replaying the events in her mind instead. Everything had been okay, not perfect, but they were in the middle of a war so that was to be expected. The conversation had been heated but it had escalated quickly once he'd received the phone call.

Wait.

_My brother is dead_.

That's what he'd said when he'd gotten the call. From Vincent, right? She thought that was who he'd mentioned. Elijah had been with Vincent. Everything was falling into place in front of her and Caroline's heart lurched as the reality of the situation set in.

Caroline turned back, looking over at the car and spotting Sheila still inside while Klaus was behind it, the trunk raised and leaning over it. The lid of the trunk hid him from Sheila's view, but Caroline noted the way his shoulders were drooped, the almost defeated like appearance that he was taking. She squeezed Henrik's hand one more time and headed back to the car and to Klaus.

"Elijah?" she asked, watching a variety of emotions pass over Klaus' face as his grip tightened on the car.

It made sense why he had been so steadfast in his threatening. He'd just learned of Elijah's loss and the chance of losing Henrik as well would have been too great to allow. Not that she condoned threatening Bonnie's life, nor would she allow her friend to die, but she understood it better now.

"I'm still not letting you hurt Bonnie," Caroline murmured, placing her hand over one of Klaus'. "I'm sorry about Elijah. Maybe he'll find his way through a crack in the veil. I bet we can help that along somehow. And I'll help you figure out how to save Henrik."

"I will get Elijah back. I will ensure that Henrik stays as well. And I will take down anyone who tries to stop that from happening," Klaus told her, his voice hard and for a moment she wondered if she was included in that group, but his hand was cupping her cheek, fingers gently brushing against her skin. "Including Bonnie if need be, love." Caroline opened her mouth to protest that. "So perhaps, you can work with her to ensure that doesn't need to happen."

She was still ready to fight that, to tell him where he could stick his words when Klaus did something she didn't think she would ever have expected him to do. She'd hugged him a few times but he'd never been the one to initiate it and Caroline had been certain that he probably never would. But there he was, pulling her against him, arms wrapping around her in a need for comfort and she gave into it, unable to deny him this when he'd just learned his brother was dead and there was a chance he'd lose another one. Just because she was able to be sympathetic to him didn't mean she'd forget that she needed to figure out how to ensure Bonnie's survival though. Hopefully there wouldn't be any problems and she was worrying for nothing.

"I need to talk to Henrik," Klaus murmured after a moment, releasing her.

Caroline let him head off down to the beach, knowing the two needed a quiet moment between them. She shut the trunk and headed back into the car, knowing full well that Sheila would no doubt want to speak to her. "I won't let him hurt Bonnie," Caroline told the older woman as she slid into the seat, wanting to head off the inevitable conversation. "But don't think for a minute that I'll let him be hurt either."

As far as Caroline was concerned the only one who needed to be in any kind of pain in the future was Silas. The rest of them needed to work together to ensure that happened and anyone who wasn't on board with that being their goal was an idiot. "So I'm failing to see why saving Henrik is going to be such a horrible thing."

"There are consequences for every action, Caroline. I know you know that. If he lives then who will be taken in his place?" Sheila asked, and Caroline didn't like the shiver that rose up her spine at that. "It already seems that the consequences of not simply ending Silas have come about in the death of the elder Mikaelson as well as Lucy. I wonder who else they're willing to lose for the youngest to live again."

Caroline looked out the window toward the two brothers, watching Klaus try to explain what was happening to the boy. She could listen into the conversation if she wanted but she didn't know the language so it wouldn't have done much good. It was enough to see the boy hug Klaus. Some of the tension left the Hybrid at the contact and she knew that whatever had been said had helped the two of them at least temporarily reconcile what had just occurred.

Now if only she could get the nagging worries out of her head that Sheila's words had put in there. Something told Caroline that wouldn't happen anytime soon but maybe that was a good thing. Maybe it would force her to stay on her toes and look at everything that was happening from all angles. The last thing she wanted to do was drift back to seeing the world as black and white when she'd finally allowed color into it.

* * *

Seeing Damon leave the tomb had been a huge shock for Stefan Salvatore. In only a few seconds he'd gotten his brother back and realized at the same time that he'd died. They didn't always get along, more often than not they were at odds, but the fact that Damon had died and he hadn't known, that he had been brother-less for a few weeks, had ripped at the very seems of who Stefan was.

It was a defining moment for him and while he tended to agree with Caroline and Bonnie that there were bigger matters to deal with than trying to get Elena back, Stefan had known that he would be following Damon wherever he might go. He wasn't about to lose him again.

Permanent death was very different than their continued estrangement, than the needing to distance themselves from one another for their own sanity. At least then there was the knowledge that they weren't really alone in the world. No matter what he'd always have his brother. Even if Damon hated him at the time.

It probably wasn't his best decision to follow Damon when chaos had broken out. Maybe he should have tried to reason with his older brother but there was no reasoning with Damon Salvatore when it came to Elena Gilbert's life. Damon was going to do whatever it took to get Elena back and Stefan was going to do whatever it took to keep Damon alive.

Not all that different from the Mikaelsons when it came down to it. In a thousand years would their brotherly love become as twisted as what he'd seen between those siblings? Stefan had a feeling it'd be even more so considering the current state of his relationship with Damon.

"I don't care if you'll die in order to make it happen," Damon told the witch who he had in front of him. "But I'm sure you care about your girlfriend dying. So unless you want my brother to eat her and then the rest of your little town, you're going to do what I need."

He patted the man on the head and looked over at Stefan who was holding the sobbing woman in his arms, head tilted so he had easy access to her neck. The thrumming of the woman's heartbeat was calling to him, taunting him and wanting him to sink his teeth into her flesh. Stefan knew that if he did it that there would be no stopping before he drained her and that was the beginning of a slippery slope that he didn't want to head down.

Stefan let his fangs slide out, watching the witch's eyes widen in horror, the woman becoming slack in his arms, her fear overwhelming her. "One last chance," Damon informed the man, slowly counting off on his fingers before the man nodded.

"I'll do it," he assured, and Damon grinned, stepping back so the man could get the materials he needed.

"I'll have Stefan hold onto her for safe keeping. Wouldn't want you to try anything stupid," Damon continued, and Stefan swallowed at that, the heart beat so close to his mouth a constant temptation that he didn't know how long he could ignore.

Thankfully it didn't take the witch long to do what was needed, the man collapsing to the ground once he was done, heart no longer beating. The woman in Stefan's arms screamed at the sight before her, but Damon simply picked up the map the man had been using, holding it up for Stefan to see with a wide grin.

"Looks like we've got a destination for where to find Elena."

How exactly they'd get her back from the Other Side once they reached that part wasn't something either of them had figured out. Hopefully there would be a crack in the veil there and she'd stumble out on her own. Otherwise Stefan knew that more people would end up dying in order to get her back.

Stefan released the woman, letting her fall down beside the dead man, her sobs echoing through the room. "Sure you don't want a bite?" Damon asked, as he grabbed the woman's arm, hauling her to her feet. "Need to keep up your strength and I doubt there have been lots of bunnies for you to feast on recently."

"I'm fine, Damon. Let's just go." There was no point in staying any longer. They had the information that they needed and the woman didn't need to deal with any more traumas.

Stefan knew he should have known better though, especially once Damon offered up one of his usual grins, one that meant Stefan wouldn't like what happened next. His brother was tearing into the woman's throat before he could hope to stop him. His own gums ached, fangs straining to be released as he fought to hold them back. The scent of blood wanted to overwhelm him, to make him push Damon off the woman and have her all to himself. Stefan wasn't sure if it was a good thing or not that Damon had her drained in moments.

"She wouldn't have wanted to live anyway,'" Damon commented with a shrug, letting the woman drop to the ground. "Now come on. Let's go save Elena, baby bro."

Stefan looked back at the dead couple as Damon waltzed out of the house, wiping blood from his mouth. Caroline's words from earlier echoed in his mind, s _ometimes people should stay dead._ Maybe his brother was one of those cases but that didn't change the fact that Stefan would keep on trying to make sure Damon stayed in the land of the living for as long as lived.

Whether or not Damon would do the same for him didn't matter, at least not in Stefan's mind. He would deal with whatever consequences would come about because of Damon's solely focused mission and once they got Elena back he'd figure out how to be able to be around the two of them without the constant feeling of betrayal nipping at his heels.

The younger Bennett was being shielded from locater spells, something that had taken four different witches trying to find her before they had been able to figure that out. The older Bennett wouldn't be able to complete the spell to take down the Other Side but he would be able to use her blood to go around the shield that someone had placed around Bonnie. Thankfully, a spell wasn't needed to find Sheila Bennett, the link he currently had with her easily leading Silas to her location.

He knew the younger boy was there as well and wasn't surprised to find the Hybrid and baby vampire with the other two. He'd specifically picked the youngest Mikaelson to stay the Original family's hands, knew that his presence would cause them to stop the others from putting him down. Damon had been his back up, knowing that Stefan might also head off to stop his older brother from dying all over again. Sheila had been taken more for her power than anything else. He hadn't thought her appearance would do much besides distract the two young Bennett witches, but a distraction for even a moment could have given him the chance he'd needed to get away from their group.

"So we're just going to shove the cure down Amara's throat and then what? Drive a stake through her heart?" Caroline asked causing Silas to halt his steps, keeping to the shadows as the group sat the small cafe. "Like, it's not really her fault or anything. Just seems like a really cruel death."

"Stake. Pull it out. Quick enough to ensure that her death is as painless as possible for her if you'd like, love," Klaus replied, pushing the plate of vegetables toward the boy. "Eat. You need your strength too." The language he had been using had changed but it was one Silas knew already, his mind seamlessly translating it as it was spoken.

_Amara._ They were talking about her as if she was still alive, going on about a cure for her as well. He knew of the existence of his own, had refused to take it and give into Qestiyah's plans, but if there was one for Amara as well that meant she was already immortal. Silas leaned against the wall, wondering how he'd gotten it all so wrong. She was supposed to be dead. He'd been so sure of it, all of the blood and Qestiyah's wrath had pointed to that being what happened. The bloody witch had even taunted him about it, told him his beloved had died screaming for him.

Silas shook his head. Of course the witch had lied. If their positions had been reversed he'd have done the same thing. It would have made the surrender to death that much crueler to learn his love hadn't died and was forever waiting for his return. And these fools were looking to kill her, something he would not allow to happen. They must know where she was and he would not let them keep that knowledge from him.

He tried to read into their minds, but Klaus and Caroline's were guarded from him. The boy had no clue what was going on, most likely he'd been unable to understand what the others had said. Somehow Sheila was guarding her mind from him, not through the same trickery as the vampire and Hybrid but still successfully evading his invasion.

Sheila paused in her drinking, looking around the streets, obviously spooked and no doubt knowing he was nearby. His attempt at reading her mind had probably been the perfect alert system and perhaps he should have been more careful but they knew about Amara and he would do whatever was necessary to learn all that they did.

He was in front of their table before the woman could utter a word of warning, hands clasped on the back of Henrik and Caroline's chairs, and smiled brightly at the group. "I suggest not making a fuss. It would be incredibly easy for me to detach either of their heads before you can make a move," Silas warned, enjoying the anger radiating from Klaus.

This was the position the Hybrid was usually in and the role reversal must have been maddening. "Now then, I hardly find it fair that you all seem to know pieces to this intricate puzzle Qestiyah created that I do not." The Bennett witch would be no help. No doubt she would do anything in her power to ruin any of his plans, too much like Qestiyah to even bother threatening. But the Hybrid, he could be manipulated using his lovely little weakness. "Instead of beating around the bush, throwing out threats, I will make this easy for you. Bring me Amara,  _alive_ , and I will give you your love. Fail me, and I will destroy her."

Silas snapped the vampire's neck, easily scooping up Caroline and vanishing from the area before Klaus was able to move a muscle. He could hear the Hybrid's scream; an echo of what his own had been like when he'd thought Amara dead. It was all the confirmation he needed to know that Klaus would do whatever it took to ensure Amara's safety since it was tied to Caroline's.

* * *

One moment they had all been happily chatting away, or at least chatting, Klaus doubted the older Bennett witch even knew how to act happy. A second later Caroline had been ripped away right in front of him and he had been unable to lift a finger, to move an inch toward her before she was simply gone. It was too much like that awful night when Henrik had been ripped away from him, nearly torn to pieces by creatures he would eventually learn were his kin.

All he had felt back then was helplessness, unable to know what to do except for run the boy back to the village and watch as the others were unable to do anything. Now though all that filled him was pure, white hot rage, burning through his body and forcing his hybrid features to bloom.

_Caroline_.

The beast within him wanted out and he wasn't in any mood to try and temper it, allowing it to come out to play, to express the fury he was feeling at having her taken from him. Nothing had ever felt like this before. This ferocity that he likened to a tumultuous storm, this squeezing in his chest as if part of his heart had suddenly disappeared, leaving a hole he wouldn't be able to fill until he had her back.

"Nik?" Henrik tried, and he looked over at the boy, barely noticing the way he flinched at the sight of him.

"It will be alright," Klaus tried reassure, even if it was a lie. Everything was so far from alright. His brother was dead, mother on the loose; no doubt Mikael was as well, and now Caroline…

He couldn't leave Henrik but he couldn't let Silas have Caroline either. Amara had to die in order to destroy the link to the Other Side, something that needed to happen before his mother could carry out her plan to kill the rest of her children. She'd already taken Elijah; he would not allow her to kill another of them. But he wouldn't lose Caroline either, not now, not when she was ready to give him that chance, not when he'd finally found her. A thousand years and he had never met anyone like her and Klaus knew he never would again. Losing her was not an option, no matter the consequences.

"Niklaus! Not in front of Henrik!" Rebekah shouted, and Klaus blinked at that because he shouldn't be hearing his sister's voice.

He looked over toward where it had come from and spotted his siblings and Bonnie making their way to them. Sheila was already explaining everything that happened and he saw the pity in Rebekah's eyes. He hated it, wanted to force it away, but there was no time for snide remarks. Instead he flashed to her, grabbing onto her upper arms, and looking intently at her. He needed her to know the seriousness of the situation.

"Mother is back. She killed Elijah." Klaus started, watching the horror at that information flash over his sister's face, hearing Kol's disbelief. "Silas took Caroline. Do not let them kill that girl until I've returned with her."

Rebekah simply looked at him and Klaus shook her slightly, fingers biting into her skin. "Promise me, Rebekah."

"I promise," she murmured, and Klaus nodded, needing to believe that she would keep that one. She had been his constant for one thousand years and he knew her tells for lying. There were none of them in that moment and he would need to trust her, something he hadn't done in far too long. He also knew that Rebekah would look after Henrik and that meant there was no reason for him to stay any longer.

Klaus ignored the other calls for him, flashing out of the city, and trying to pick up on Caroline's scent. He'd find a witch to locate her if needed, threaten, kill, do whatever he must in order to get her back. The entire world could burn down around him if it meant she was safely beside him again, with his family united and alive. It hardly mattered what happened to the rest of the population. For a brief moment part of him even considered simply handing Amara over to Silas for an exchange but Klaus wasn't foolish. The girl needed to die or the chaos would never end and he would not endure another thousand years running from his past, not when he intended to spend at least the next thousand years learning every curve of Caroline's body.

He would simply retrieve Caroline and then kill Amara with his own hands and present Silas her heart before shoving the cure down the immortal's throat. There wasn't any other option he'd allow to happen. Silas might have been far older than him, maybe even stronger as well, but Klaus had barely tapped into what it meant to be an Original Hybrid, barely seen what he was now able to do with both the wolf and vampire parts of him enabled, what he could do with the two of them combined.

It seemed like now was as good a time as any to truly see what he could do.

He caught wind of Caroline's scent and stripped his clothing as he moved, body seamlessly transforming into his wolf, paws hitting the ground and flashing off in the direction, intent on getting her back, needing to feel whole again.

* * *

[1]-Nothing to be concerned about, little brother

 


	30. Chapter 30

_Real gods require blood—Zora Neale Hursto_

* * *

Nothing was happening like it was supposed to, but then again it rarely ever did in the middle of a war. That was why there had always been countless scenarios planned out for every situation but Rebekah wondered if they would have ever been able to plan ahead for everything that had happened in the last few weeks.

Elijah was dead. Their mother apparently on the loose and looking to kill them and now Klaus had run off to try and save Caroline, leaving the rest of them to carry out the plans he had come up with. But Henrik was alive and she was going to cling to that fact for as long as she could.

"Nik!  _Nik!"_  Henrik continued to scream after their brother who could no longer be seen even with her vampire sight.

"Henrik, we need to go now," Rebekah told him, easily sliding back into Old Norse for the boy, trying to sound comforting.

It was an odd way to act, an odd way to feel and she didn't quite know how to handle the emotions her youngest brother brought out in her. She loved her other brothers dearly but that love had become distorted over the centuries, twisting into the codependent relationships marked with jealousy and rage that brought about a weird sense of loyalty. It was different with Henrik, more pure, a remnant of what love had been like between all of them centuries ago, and Rebekah desperately wanted to protect that love, to protect him and keep him safe from the horrors of the world.

She also never wanted to lose him and in order to accomplish that they would have to corrupt him just as they had been, wouldn't they? If he remained a witch and mortal he would die and Rebekah didn't know if any of them could handle that kind of blow all over again.

The boy shook his head, still looking in the direction Klaus had fled, and she wrapped her arms around him, pulling him into a hug. "He'll be back, little brother. It will be okay."

People were watching them by then, gossip already starting and she was certain she'd heard one person mention the police. It'd be an easy enough situation to deal with but killing in front of Henrik was something she wasn't quite ready to do just yet.

"He took Caroline. The madman," Henrik murmured as he allowed Rebekah to pull him along, expression becoming pained, a clear reflection of the empathy he'd always displayed. "She is not like Tatia, Bekah."

"No, she is not," Rebekah sighed, not wanting to think about the woman who had strung along two of her brothers or the doppelgangers that all looked like her. She didn't really want to think about Caroline either or the importance she held for Klaus. Now wasn't the time for that particular jealousy to take root again. "He will find her, Henrik, but we need to go now, okay?"

Henrik nodded and they headed toward the car that Rebekah and the others had been using. It'd be a bit cramped, but what mattered was getting to Amara's resting place now. "He will not do well without her," Henrik murmured as he slid into the backseat with Bonnie and Rebekah.

She didn't quite believe that. It might take some time but surely Klaus would move on from the loss of Caroline. At least that was what she tried to believe, but it was hard to hold onto that notion. She had seen the devastation in his face, the desperation in his grip as he'd looked at her, wanting a promise to not kill Amara until he had Caroline free of Silas. She had only seen him look that lost a few times before, back when he'd carried Henrik into their village, when Mikael had come to kill them all so they could become vampires, and when Elijah had helped string him up so that their mother could bind his wolf side. The desperation he'd exhibited during the Hunter's Curse had been different, that need to die twisting it into something darker.

Perhaps her little brother was right in his assessment and Rebekah knew she would keep that promise she had made to Klaus. As angry as he could make her, as much as she wanted to cause him pain sometimes, and even though he'd killed more of her lovers than she'd ever be able to remember, she couldn't quite bring herself to cause him that much grief. Especially if Caroline being in the picture meant that he wouldn't go around killing her lovers any longer. She could hope for that at least. It didn't seem like something the blonde cheerleader would approve of.

"We need a new game plan," Bonnie started, the anger from before seemed to have shifted to worry, no doubt over Caroline's well-being. "We can't just go straight to Amara and kill her anymore."

"Why not?" Sheila barked from the front, turning to look at them, lips pursed in disappointment. "This is what the Spirits want, Bonnie. Amara must die and the Other Side cease to exist so that Silas will not be able to get what he wants."

"Yes, and we'll be fulfilling all of that," Rebekah pointed out, rolling her eyes at all of the spirit talk. "Just a little delay in it happening."

"Such as the delay you caused when you killed Lucy," Sheila turned her attention toward her and Rebekah shrugged. She wasn't about to regret that. "How many have died because of that foolish deed? How many more will?"

"I have my brother back. That's what matters," Rebekah replied, fighting back the urge to rip the woman's head off.

"And what of your other brother? Did his life not matter?" Sheila arched a brow at her and Rebekah could only glare.

Of course Elijah's life mattered but that was another reason they couldn't just kill the girl. They needed time for Elijah to be able to find his way back to them. Then the Other Side could be destroyed and Silas could die as well.

"I suggest you don't speak of things you know nothing about," Rebekah told her, lips pressing together in barely contained rage. "Or my brother's presence will not stop me from ridding your body of your head." Bonnie looked ready to open her mouth to protest that and Rebekah rolled her eyes. "Oh don't you start either. We only need one of you to have access to Amara."

Henrik was looking at her, frowning as he tried to understand the body language of the group, the words still not meaning anything to him. Rebekah smiled gently at him, patting his hand before looking over at Kol. "When will we be unlinking them?"

"I want to get us a bit more out of town and we'll pull over and do it," Kol replied, glancing back at her. "Then I'll do what's needed so Henrik isn't bound to Silas anymore."

"You don't wield magic," Sheila started, and Kol glanced over at her, eyes practically twinkling with mischief before looking back at the road.

"Might want to ask your granddaughter about that one." Kol clucked his tongue and Rebekah couldn't help but grin as Bonnie shifted uncomfortably.

"Oh yes, Bonnie, do tell it all to your grandmother," Rebekah urged, wanting to see the older woman's reaction. "How you foolishly believed a word out of my brother's mouth. I'd honestly thought you were smarter than that."

"Bonnie?" Sheila was watching her, the concern etched into her features almost endearing.

"We needed more power to be able to handle everything with Silas," Bonnie murmured with a sigh. "Kol knew a spell that would grant me access to all the power that was just drifting through the world."

"Oh child," Sheila breathed out.

"My magic just happened to be there as well," Kol piped in, his cheeriness causing Rebekah to stifle a laugh. "We're linked."

"You do not know what you mess with, boy," Sheila started, and Rebekah snorted at that. Contrary to what the witches seemed to believe Kol wasn't exactly a novice. She was pretty sure he knew more about witchcraft than most witches anymore. He did have a thousand years to study it, even if he'd only been able to actually practice it for a fraction of that time. "The spirits will never allow this to pass."

"The spirits will soon no longer exist so you can see why I don't much care what they think," Kol replied with a shrug. "Never did. Never will. The world is changing and you can either come along for the ride or follow Silas over to the land that will cease to exist. I don't really care which you choose."

"He can unlink you too, Grams," Bonnie told her, voice full of hope at the idea and Rebekah could only imagine what the girl was thinking about. It wasn't hard to do so; she did understand how much comfort being reunited with a dead family member could be. "And then I'll unlink myself from him once I know the spell." Bonnie's glare directed at Kol and his responding grin had Rebekah wanting to gouge her eyes out.

"No, Bonnie. There will be consequences for what they do and I will not leave any for you to deal with," Sheila replied, turning back to look at the road. "I will take those you've already been given on with me when my time ends."

"How lovely of you," Rebekah remarked, lips twisting as bitterness filled her. All their mother wanted to do was kill them while Bonnie got a grandmother who was ready to take on her sins and handle the consequences. "Can't you drive any faster, Kol?" She wasn't sure how much longer she could stand to be in such cramped quarters with these people.

Henrik leaned against her, resting his head against her side, and took hold of one of her hands, squeezing it gently. He smiled up at her and she reciprocated it, the bitterness of a few moments ago pushed to the side. It took too much energy to hate the others for what they had and she never would. Instead she would focus her energy on Henrik and ensure that no matter what he would come out of everything unscathed.

* * *

One thing Elijah's death had confirmed without a shadow of a doubt was that she hadn't been part of his vampire lineage. There hadn't been any real confirmation before that it had been Klaus and perhaps there was a chance that they were all of Rebekah or Kol's line, but Elijah's potential had definitely been taken off the table. The disbelief in his eyes as Esther had plunged the stake through his chest would forever be seared in Katherine's eyes, a look she didn't think she would ever be able to run far enough away from.

Part of her could have sworn he'd glanced at her before bursting into flames, that she'd seen a tinge of regret to his gaze before she'd fled the house. Most likely it was her mind playing tricks with her, giving her what she wanted to have happened. If Elijah had thought of anyone upon dying it was probably his siblings, it was probably  _Klaus_ , and that thought had Katherine clenching her fists with a fury she didn't even know she could feel any longer.

He could always return through some crack in the veil and she was certain that Vincent and Vaughn were looking for him, no doubt getting themselves killed in the process by others who'd slipped from the Other Side. She loved Elijah, or at least she thought she  _could_ love him if they had ever gotten the time together to really fall in love, but like every other person in the world his survival didn't outweigh her own.

"That is why you will never be happy," a voice spoke from in the train car, causing her to sit up. She had a single room. There shouldn't have been anyone there. Definitely not anyone with that voice. "Hello, Katherine."

"Emily." Katherine forced a smile at seeing her old friend. It was never good to run into old friends in her experience, probably because more often than not she'd had a hand in their death or indirectly caused it, usually directly did. Such as the case with Emily when she'd informed the Mystic Falls town council that the woman was a witch. "I'm guessing you're not here for courtesy call. Shouldn't you be looking in on your descendants? I hear they're in a bit of a bind."

"They are quite fine where they are and fulfilling their duties," Emily replied as she placed her hands in her lap, watching Katherine carefully. "There is no use in looking for exits. You will find none tonight."

"Always so cryptic," Katherine murmured unable to help but look around, trying to find a good route out. It should be easy enough to overpower the witch, even if Emily was one of the more powerful Bennett ones, then she could head off the train and away from whatever madness was happening here.

"Gloria is right outside this door, spelling it so you cannot leave. There are a few other witches as well who I am sure you remember. You had a hand in all of their deaths," Emily continued, and Katherine narrowed her eyes at that, not liking how the odds were stacking up.

"What do you want?" Everyone wanted something, didn't they? It was just a matter of figuring out what exactly it was and giving it to them or convincing them that was happening so she could disappear into the night.

"Justice," Emily told her and that was not the answer that Katherine wanted to hear. "Or I suppose you could call it revenge."

"I did what I had to survive. You would have done the same," Katherine replied, shaking her head at the woman, utilizing all of her senses to find any path that she might be able to take. There had to be a weakness that she could exploit. "You weren't exactly blameless with anything that happened, Emily." It wasn't like she'd twisted the woman's hands into making all of the devices and everything else she'd done.

"I think you will find that blaming me for my death will not get you very far today, Katherine," Emily replied with a smile.

"It was your choice to do magic, not mine." Of course she may have twisted her arm a little here and there, but that was hardly the point. "I was looking out for myself. Like I've always done. It was nothing personal."

Emily arched a brow at that. "Most people find dying because of another personal. Especially when their word is what has them ripped away from their children."

Katherine shrugged. "They were all fine. Your line continues on today." After all, Bonnie Bennett wouldn't be alive if it hadn't.

"You will not sway me with your words, your trickery. Even if you did, there are more than enough witches who want to complete this plan. We are sacrificing our own return to do so," Emily told her, and Katherine felt a chill in her bones at that. There went trying to entice the lot of them to go out and live their lives instead of wasting time and effort on her.

"So what? You're going to kill me?" Because then she could just find a crack and head back through, a giant screw you to them for trying to take her down.

"We're about to head through a rip in the veil," Emily informed her, ignoring her words and Katherine stood up, not liking what she was hearing at all. "You would not even notice it without us here, would simply slip past it, but we will be bringing you back with us and keeping you there until they destroy the link between the two worlds."

"But I'm not dead," Katherine stepped back, not liking the maliciousness of Emily's smile. She didn't think she'd ever seen the woman look that mad.

"No, but we both know that you might as well be," Emily replied and Katherine tried to move, to take her out and then take on the others. Like hell was she wasn't going down without a fight but she was locked in place and unable to move. "After all, survival is hardly living. Consider this a favor. My last one to you."

"Don't do this," Katherine started, ready to offer her anything, ready to say anything to give her a few minutes to figure out a way out of her situation.

It was as if she was slammed into a wall, the world around them disappearing and her body feeling like it was being ripped apart. Skin stretching, bones breaking, her lungs and heart collapsing as she was forced through the crack into the veil and onto the Other Side where she shouldn't have been. Her body slammed forward and she dropped down to her knees, head pounding and every inch of her aching, as she took in the scene around her.

Far too many witches to count were circled around her, keeping her locked to the ground and she watched as the rip that leaked out to the world she'd just been in grew further and further away as the group tugged her along with magic, intent on keeping her on the Other Side.

"Dobre doshŭl u doma, dŭshterya," a new voice started and Katherine looked up to see a sight she hadn't expected to ever glimpse.

"Mama?" Katherine shook her head, refusing to believe what she was seeing.

"Hish. Vsichko shte svŭrshi skoro," the woman told her, gently brushing her forehead as the witches continued to hold her in place. How was she here? She'd never expected to see her here.

"No." She pushed against the invisible bonds that were holding her down, tears filling her eyes as she looked at the woman who had given birth to her. "Az ne iskam da umra, mama."

"Vsichki sŭshtestva tryabva da umrat, Katerina," the woman told her, and Katherine closed her eyes at the words, not wanting to believe them. "Dori i vas."

"No. Mama. No." She continued to struggle against the spell holding her down, shaking her head as she stared up at her mother who continued to speak soothingly too her. Each minute only bringing her further away from any hope of escape.

_[1]—Welcome home, daughter._

_[2]—Hush. It will all be over soon._

_[3]—I don't want to die, mama._

_[4]-All creatures must die, Katerina. Even you._

* * *

Waking up from a broken neck was never fun but waking up with a psychotic immortal who was intent on ending the world as she knew it definitely made the experience that much worse. Caroline had never been a fan of someone watching her when she was sleeping—and while a broken neck didn't exactly equal peaceful slumber—she still got the same creepy sensation of being watched as she opened her eyes.

"Has anyone ever told you that the whole watching the girl while she sleeps is so nineties?" Why had she ever thought it was charming when Edward did it to Bella in those books? God, she needed to get better reading material when she got out of this. Her entire vampire experience was nothing at all like it had been in those books. Which, honestly, not a bad thing. Sparkling in the sunlight would probably get old after a while. Plus she was okay with not being able to have babies eating their way out of her stomach.

Silas' gaze never wavered from her even if he didn't respond to her question.  _Great_. So she was captured and would be talking to herself for an undetermined amount of time. His steady unyielding gaze was sending shivers up her arms, but unlike with how she'd liked that sensation when Klaus looked at her, Silas doing it was unnerving and she wished he'd stop.

"What did they do to you to keep me out of your mind?" he asked, breaking the silence and Caroline wished it had kept up instead, not really wanting to answer that. She shrugged instead, nearly jumping when the chair that had been beside him slammed into the wall near her head. "You will find, Caroline, that I do not appreciate waiting for answers."

"And I don't appreciate being kidnapped by creepy immortals but well, here we are," she bit out, almost regretting her words. "But hey, it seems to be the thing to do nowadays." First Kol. Now Silas. Maybe it would be better to keep quiet or at least answer his questions but Caroline refused to be the victim again. She had been tortured enough in her short life and if that was what this guy wanted to do then she was going to fight back with all she had, and part of that would be using her words. "Besides what you really want to know is what I know about Amara. So why not just ask me instead of wasting time with the how I'm immune to wacky mind powers?"

Silas' eyes were narrowed and she saw the barely contained rage in them. This wasn't Klaus who she was certain wouldn't kill her even in his own bouts of madness. This guy would probably have no trouble tearing out her heart and eating it or whatever else crazy villains liked to do, but she could just find a rip in the veil then and come back, couldn't she? Then she'd be far away from him and the others could kill Amara without any worry.

It seemed that Silas must have been having similar thoughts as he carefully regarded her, lips curling into a malevolent smile. He waved his hand for her to continue as he sat down on one of the remaining chairs. "You and I both know that your death means I lose out on controlling the Hybrid." She didn't like the intensity of his gaze in that moment or the sudden bout of amusement that seemed to come out of nowhere as he looked her over. "I wonder how intoxicating it must be to know the power that you have over him. What it must be like to wait for the day he finally snaps and kills you."

Caroline took a deep breath, ignoring his comments, knowing they were meant to rile her up. Thinking about Klaus and how he was most likely reacting to her abduction wasn't going to help. She needed to keep her composure while also glancing around the area as best she could. She needed to know where they were, to get at least a layout of the house they were in, so that she could maybe come up with some kind of escape plan. Klaus had been given ample opportunities to kill her and he hadn't yet. Even as a wolf he hadn't been able to do it—something she knew went against nature since wolves apparently wanted nothing more than to rip vampires apart.

" _Anyway_  I'm guessing you eavesdropped—which not classy at all—and heard that Amara's alive," Caroline started, trying to mentally remind herself not to ramble and to stick to the facts. The less she told him the better probably. "Apparently Qestiyah thought it'd be fun to get you to kill yourself and then find out once you were on the Other Side that Amara wasn't dead. That lady had issues."

Maybe some of them created by Silas' betrayal but there was seriously a point where revenge was taken entirely too far. If the witch had just rammed the cure down his throat and killed the guy they wouldn't be in the position they all were now, but no, she'd needed to have the last laugh. As far as Caroline was concerned they were both in the wrong.

"Qestiyah was never one to dole out easy punishments," Silas replied, almost looking amused, but Caroline knew better than to trust that almost relaxed vibe he was giving off. He could kill her before she could blink and while she would try not to show any fear, she wasn't about to forget that fact either. Even if death might get her away from him quicker, it still sucked to die. Not to mention there was no guarantee she would find a rip in the veil before the others killed Amara.

"And yet you actively betrayed her. Like shouldn't you have known what the consequences were?" Caroline muttered, instantly regretting her words.

Silas arched a brow, not making any move toward her, but she continued to carefully watch him. "The benefits far outweighed the consequences at that particular time," he informed her, and she watched his gaze seem to drift away for a moment, glimpsed a trace of sadness in his eyes, before he focused on her again. "It will all be worth it when I am finished."

Maybe if it had just been a love story that had ended badly and just had him reuniting with his lost love without the whole bring down the veil and rule over everyone part, it would have been something beautiful. But Caroline doubted reuniting with Amara would be enough for the man in front of her. He wanted revenge on the woman who had forced their separation.

"So why not just take the cure, be united with Amara who also takes the cure and go live out your lives happily together for a while?" Caroline suggested. Wasn't that kind of win-win for everyone?

"And lose out on forever with her? I think not." Silas shook his head. "I much prefer my ideal endgame of being reunited with her and destroying every single legacy of Qestiyah's."

That included Bonnie and like hell was Caroline going to let Bonnie die. "What was Amara like?" she asked, not surprised that he was caught off guard for a moment by her question. "Because like from what people have said about her in legends and stuff she seems like a sweet girl—aside from the whole cheating thing—so what makes you think she'll be all that happy with you when she learns what you've done or what you're willing to do?" Okay, so maybe they hadn't really said that but it didn't hurt to try out that angle, did it? It wasn't like he couldn't refute what she was saying if she was dead wrong.

"You of all people should realize that your feelings for someone can outweigh their troublesome deeds," Silas countered, and Caroline hated that he knew about her life.

"I'm not a saint either. Maybe I haven't done as many awful things as Klaus but I've killed people. I survive on blood to live. I have horribly dark urges that I suppress all the time because I feel I need to." And maybe there would be more days she wouldn't feel that urge to do so and she'd let them run free but it wasn't quite that day yet. "Did your Amara ever kill? She wanted forever with you, wanted to run away, right? I doubt any of that equaled killing others. Did you even tell her the side effects of immortality?"

He was gripping the sides of the chair then and Caroline knew she should stop, but her mouth was never one to listen to her brain. "She's had two thousand years to think about all of it just like you did. Maybe she decided that you're not worth all of the pain she went through. Two thousand years where she was trapped and linked to the Other Side, unable to do anything because of your mistakes. Maybe she blames  _you_."

Silas was in her face seconds later. "I may not wish to kill you because then you are no longer the perfect little leverage but I have no need to listen to your annoying prattle."

"Maybe she fell out of love with you."

Silas' hand was on her chest then and she waited for the sensation of it tearing through her skin. He looked murderous enough to do it but she stared at him, refusing to show fear. His hands were on her neck a moment later and Caroline had never been more happy to receive a snapped neck than in that moment, welcoming the darkness and pleased that she'd been able to plant some seeds of doubt.

* * *

It had worked.

Damon hadn't been sure that it would, that the witch they found would be strong enough to pull Elena from the Other Side and help her cross over through the crack in the veil. She hadn't seemed it with how quickly she had been fading; dropping dead as soon as the spell was complete, but fear for a loved one had always been a good motivator. He could hear the children's sobs and Stefan trying to calm them down, to get them to head over to a neighbor's house or something to that effect, but none of that mattered to him.

Not with Elena  _alive_  and there right in front of him.

She was shaking, hands on her ears as she looked around, no doubt confused over what had just happened. He remembered his time on the Other Side, first following her around, trying to watch over her and then trying to find her once she'd been killed. It had been such a lonely place, so cold and something he wanted to be stricken from her mind.

"It's me, baby, you're free," he started, heading over to her and gathering her into his arms.

She didn't seem to react to his touch, her hands still on her ears, though she shut her eyes, body still shaking and clammy to the touch. He rubbed his hands along her back, trying to warm her up. "You're okay. We're both okay. We're gonna get out of here and go and live a long, long life, Elena," he murmured, trying to reassure her, to calm her down.

"No." She pushed away from him and he blinked at her, startled by the madness he saw in her eyes. Her gaze darted here and there, hands trembling as she brought them down, wrapping her arms around her body.

"Elena?" Stefan tried, the children finally having fled. He took a step toward her but she jumped back, reminding Damon of a wounded bird, frightened by any noise.

"What did you do?" she asked, her gaze falling on the body of the dead witch. Her hands were back on her ears, eyes closed, as she rocked back and forth. "What did you do? What did you do? No no no no no."

"Elena, it's okay," Damon stepped toward her, frowning as she moved back away from him. "You're okay now."

She looked at him then, more broken than he'd ever seen her before. "No. I'm not."

"You will be," Damon assured, moving slowly as to try and not upset her. "It'll just take time."

"I killed all of those people," she started, moving back until she was backed into a corner and collapsing down to the ground. She pulled her knees up to her chest. "I shouldn't be here."

"It wasn't your fault, Elena," Damon tried, coming to kneel in front of her, throwing Stefan a helpless look over his shoulder, wanting help. "The crazy man made you do it."

"We'll help you deal with what happened," Stefan started, his voice calm and Damon nodded at that. They could help her deal with what happened. If the sire bond was still in effect maybe he could simply make her feel better, make her forget all that had happened.

"I killed you," Elena sobbed, looking over at Damon and he reached out, placing his hands on top of hers.

"You didn't know, baby." It had sucked but he knew it wasn't her fault. Elena wouldn't have done it if she'd had control of her mind and body and he knew she hadn't at the time. "Let's get out of here and get you some new clothes, a couple of blood bags into you, and you'll see. It'll get better."

It would just take some time but they had that on their side. He'd do anything to ensure that she would be okay. Damon rose, offering her a hand up, smiling softly down at her until she hesitantly took it, and allowed him pull her up. "It's going to be fine," he promised, kissing her forehead as they started toward the door, Stefan moving forward to open for them.

"I'm sorry," she whispered and he turned to give her another reassuring smile, ready to remind her that it was okay, that he didn't blame her, when she utilized her speed to move away from him, picking up one of the wooden stakes the brothers had managed to get out of the kids' hands. "I can't live with this."

She plunged through her heart before either he or Stefan could make a move, body turning grey as she fell. Damon barely caught her before she hit the floor, unable to do a thing to save her. He shook her, trying to process what had just happened.

"We have to get her back. We did it once. We'll do it again," Damon muttered, placing her dead body down on the floor and rising. He'd find another witch and do it all again, make sure there were no pointy wooden objects around the next time. Maybe snap her neck so he could get her to wherever Caroline was, get the blonde to talk Klaus into compelling the memories away from Elena.

"She doesn't want to return, Damon," Stefan murmured, and Damon whirled around, shoving Stefan into the wall. His brother didn't even flinch, only looked at him with a pity that Damon didn't want to see, refusing to accept that he'd lost Elena. "Let her go."

" _No_ ," he bit out, glaring at the younger man. "You can help me or not, but I'm getting her back."

"And then what? She'll just do this again. She's miserable. You're going to make her live with that misery?" Stefan demanded, and Damon dropped him, refusing to listen to any of it.

"Like I said, help me or not, brother, but I'm going after her," Damon muttered, heading for the door and out of it.

He waited for the sound of Stefan following him, certain that his brother would, but the footsteps never came, and he cursed him under his breath before flashing away, intent on finding another witch, refusing to be parted from Elena.

Love would always be his downfall.

"Hello, Damon. Remember me?" asked a voice that he couldn't pinpoint, pain erupting in his head and causing him to stumble forward, grasping it.

"Can't say I do," he muttered. Obviously a witch but he'd met so many of those that there was no way he'd remember all of their names.

"Couldn't take you down before but I've been practicing and I brought a friend," the woman continued, and Damon forced himself to look up, trying to figure out who the woman was. "You might remember my friend Lexi. The one you killed. She didn't want any part in this though. Still has loyalty to your brother. But this one…" She nodded over to the young man who had joined them.

"Luka." Of course it had to be that one. "Technically your dad's fault that you died. Shouldn't have sent you over to mess with Elijah, kid."

The pain intensified and he cringed, bending over at the pain, blood trickling from his nose and mouth. He heard Stefan then, and almost smiled, knowing his baby brother wouldn't let him die. "Don't worry, Damon," Luka told him, kneeling down in front of him. "We're going to bring you to Elena. You can have your eternity with her. Just not like you imagined."

The teenager's hands were on his shoulders and suddenly Damon felt as if he was being crushed, lungs and heart collapsing as he was pulled forward. He heard Stefan scream for him but seconds later the sound was muffled. The pain stopped in his head and Damon looked around, knowing where he was as soon as he opened his eyes. He hadn't wanted to ever see this place again.

"What the hell?" How did they get him onto the Other Side? "Where's the rip?" It had to be somewhere close.

"Shifted by now, far away from here. You have fun trying to find it without any powers to guide you," Luka smirked at him, disappearing with the other witch and leaving him alone to watch Stefan fall to his knees where he'd been seconds before, crying out for him, looking absolutely devastated.

Regret flashed through him for a moment as he watched his brother breakdown, seeing what the loss of him had done, something he didn't think would affect Stefan as much as it apparently did. The emotion was gone almost as soon as it had begun though, anger replacing it over, blaming his brother for not getting there fast enough to save him.

The coldness of the Other Side began seeping into the very heart of him, the image of Stefan fading away and leaving Damon alone with no clue on where to go. All he knew was he needed to find Elena and wouldn't stop searching until he did and got her back to the land of the living.

* * *

Klaus had been unable to keep after her scent for long, the smell swept away by the coastal breeze and his wolf shook its head, trying to locate it again. He didn't need it though, not with his blood pumping through her veins, a constant tether to him. He would be drawn to that for as long as it was inside of her and Klaus wondered if even bleeding her dry would stop him from knowing where to find Caroline. He ran across the rocky ground, cuts healing almost as soon as they drew blood, his focus absolute and unwilling to let anything get in his path.

He hadn't known that his speed could increase as a wolf, had thought he would only be able to go as fast as a normal one moved even if he'd been stronger than any wolf could hope to be. But he'd pushed himself beyond any limits he'd ever used before, unwilling to let Caroline slip away, to become a regret that he didn't think he would ever be able to forget. It surpassed the fastest he was able to go even in his vampire form though he didn't have quite the same control over it as he ran, muscles rippling as he sprang over rocks and terrain in the direction her body called him toward.

He wasn't sure when it happened but along the way native wolves began to follow him, trailing behind but he could sense their presence, and knew they were being drawn in his direction. Part of him yearned to run with them, to turn around and see where they could take him, but that desire was easily squashed, his focus remaining on finding Caroline. He'd think about and deal with the rest once he knew she was safe.

The path brought him to a small beach resort and he circled through the paved pathways, the gorgeous day aiding him as no one seemed to be in the residential area. All were down enjoying the beach instead and that helped him plenty, the last thing he wanted was for Silas to be alerted to his presence.

He easily transformed back into his usual form, the pain barely registering, not bothering to take time to adjust to the change. It was easy enough to break into one of the bungalows that dotted the landscape. Clothing was found and he breathed in the salty air, picking up Caroline's scent a few houses over to the right. He heard her muttering under her breath as well and couldn't help but smile at that. She didn't sound as though she was under any duress and that offered him a little comfort.

He was going to need to compel nearly everyone down on the beach if his distraction technique had a chance of working. It shouldn't take too much effort though. Vervain wouldn't be an issue and he could circulate through the lot of them, drop the task in each of their minds and then once he was ready give the signal for them to come pouring out of the woodwork. It didn't matter to him if they died. All that mattered to him was getting Caroline away from Silas so that they could move onto destroying the immortal, something that couldn't happen while he had her.

Klaus had to trust that Rebekah would keep her promise and that was difficult. Trust was something he'd found hard to put in his siblings in the last few centuries. Too many so-called betrayals, too much rampant paranoia for him to ever truly believe they were loyal to him. For every instance where they proved it to him another moment would crop up where he saw what they did as a slight against him. He had to somehow put that paranoia aside now though and put a little faith in Rebekah instead. After all, if she failed him he'd be able to dole out consequences for the rest of their immortal lives.

The front door to the bungalow opened and Klaus pulled on the shirt he'd found, ready to compel whoever had entered and get the show on the road. He froze in mid step as he entered the front area, staring in shock at the man who had walked in.

"Elijah?" His heart constricted at the sight of him, Vincent's words from only hours ago echoing in his head. His brother was supposed to be dead and part of him wondered if this was some slight of hand, a trick to catch him off guard.

Klaus was on him in a second, ready to catch the man by the throat, to force him to reveal  _something_ that only they would know. Elijah side stepped him though, utilizing that vampire speed that Klaus didn't think could be replicated, but perhaps his senses were being tampered with.

"What shall I reveal, Niklaus? What your first word was? Or perhaps what we used to do to Kol when he tried to follow after us and we did not wish his company as children?" Elijah inquired, watching his brother carefully, obviously ready to defend himself but he wasn't making any outward attacks. Klaus circled him, trying to figure out which answer would cement in his mind that Elijah was  _real_  and standing before him, that he wasn't an imposter. "Or shall I go into my biggest regret? Helping father strap you up and allowing mother to do what she did all those years back."

Klaus stopped moving, staring at the man in front of him. "The way you looked helplessly at me, thinking that I wouldn't go along, that I was your brother and that loyalty should have outweighed any toward our parents," Elijah continued, head bowed slightly as he shook his head, voice tinged with emotion.

"Now isn't the time for a trip down memory lane," Klaus bit out, refusing to acknowledge that period, to remember how weak he had been in that moment. He stepped forward though and clasped a hand on Elijah's shoulder, nodding slightly as he squeezed tightly, needing proof that he was solidly there. "I have things to do and if you're done playing dead I could use a hand."

"Do I dare ask what your plan is, Niklaus?" Elijah questioned and Klaus simply grinned, knowing that it would be much easier to pull off with Elijah's help.

Klaus nodded toward the beach below, taking another listen toward where Caroline and Silas were residing, needing to make sure that she was still okay before heading that way with Elijah. Klaus compelled the first person, putting in place the signal and the notion that once it was set off he would feel nothing but an all-encompassing fear and head straight toward the bungalow Silas occupied. Elijah easily followed along and it didn't take long before they had the entire group ready to go.

Klaus pulled off his shirt and handed it to Elijah. "You go upwards, past the resort, miles out to the north—I believe you'll recall the ruins of Dion are that way. I'll lead Caroline there." If he was in wolf form there would be less a chance of the immortal being able to read his mind. The man had been able to get into their heads while entombed so Klaus wasn't putting anything past him. But with the onslaught of people Silas would no doubt be scanning the human minds if he could and in his wolf form he might be able to slip on by that scan if the immortal was able to accomplish such a fête.

He should have enough focus not to attack any of the others if the last few hours of tracking the two were any indication to his control over his wolf. He hadn't harmed any that he'd passed by and his wolf wouldn't harm Caroline which in Klaus' mind was all that truly mattered.

His transition was seamless, Elijah already disappearing from the area, and the others not registering that he was even there. The whistle blew from the lifeguard stand and the response was immediate, a stampede of people rushing toward the bungalows. They pushed one another, children and elderly, those that were simply not fast enough trampled over and Klaus could smell the blood,  _the fear_  an intoxicating mix as they rushed forward. He leaped over them heading and to the side, keeping out of the way of the mass but heading in the same direction.

He spotted Silas at the balcony then, looking out at the stampede, and watched his brow crease in concentration. It was all the confirmation that Klaus needed that the immortal had some sort of telepathy. The first group of people collapsed before they ever made it to the porch, grasping their heads in pain as they fell, blood seeping out of their eyes, ears and nose. No doubt a trick of the Immortal's but there were too many for him to stop all at once and he stepped backwards, random people collapsing in the same manner but far too many able to get over the fallen and were pushing toward the immortal, grabbing onto him and trying to pull him down.

There would be no hope for any of them. Klaus could practically taste Silas rage in the air and knew his confusion wouldn't last for long. Everything had to happen in a matter of seconds but that was all he would need to get Caroline out of there and away from Silas. They would head toward the others and he simply wouldn't let her go so even if Silas did find them again he wouldn't be caught off guard and like hell would he let the immortal lay a finger on her.

He was ready to make his move when he spotted the wolves dotting the area behind the resort, their focus on him. He was still unsure as to the reason they following him but this could only help with distracting Silas and he would use every little bit to his advantage. He'd never howled before in this form, but it came from deep within his throat, the sound increasing the fear in the humans and causing the other wolves to echo the call.

Klaus's wolf leaped through the open window on the side of the bungalow, the throngs of people shielding him from Silas' gaze. He spotted Caroline as soon as his paws touched the floor and she grinned at him, already at the back window and ready to head through it. He leaped out of it with her, leading her away from the chaos that was only increasing behind them. The wolves didn't go near her, running off in various directions which would hopefully make it more difficult for Silas to find them.

They flashed away, not bothering to talk but her hand was in his fur, staying beside him as they moved through the countryside and toward where he knew Elijah would be waiting. The sound of Silas' rage echoed behind them, the screams of those he was no doubt torturing for their distraction rising up behind them. Klaus pushed at Caroline when she started to slow, refusing to allow her to stop just yet, needing more distance.

He had no idea what would be enough but he knew they were not far away just yet, not for his peace of mind. They stopped finally, Elijah waiting with his clothes and Caroline gasping at the sight of his brother.

"We thought you were…" she murmured, as Klaus shifted back to his normal form, taking the clothes from Elijah to pull on.

"I was," Elijah replied without elaboration. "Shall we be on our way then? I believe time is of the essence."

Klaus was in front of Caroline before Elijah had finished his sentence, needing to check her over, to see with own eyes that she was unharmed. His hands were on her cheeks, relief sweeping through him, his heart beating faster at the touch of her skin. Her reassuring smile enough to lessen the vice like grip that had been on his heart since he'd lost her.

"I'm fine," she promised, hands moving to cover his before moving to touch his face. "Elijah's right, we need to go. Last thing we want is your mother to find us."

"I believe the last thing Niklaus would want is to face me again, girl."

It was a voice that had haunted his nightmares even after he'd finally defeated the man. He could conquer the world over but he could never seem to rid himself of Mikael's voice in his head. Esther had escaped the veil to carry out her own plans. Klaus known there was a possibility for Mikael to do the same and of course the bastard had come for him.

He grabbed Caroline, roughly pushing her behind him, out of Mikael's line of sight. Elijah needed to take her, to get her out of the area and away from the man he had once called father. Just as he'd done with his prized horse, Klaus knew Mikael would try to make a point with Caroline, to destroy her as a way to cut at the very heart of him. That was something he couldn't allow to happen, he  _wouldn't_ allow it to happen. He'd defeated him once before but he'd had the white oak stake to use to permanently kill him. There was nothing at his disposal now to do that and unfortunately all Mikael would need was his bare hands to kill Caroline.

"You know what happens when you find something good, boy," Mikael continued, the hatred evident in his eyes.

There had been a time, long ago, that he had tried his hardest for this man's approval, when he had done everything in his power to try and make him proud of his accomplishments, only to be met with ridicule. Perhaps it had set him up for that thirst for power that he could never quite quench, added that dose of fear that had caused his siblings and him to flee every so often, unable to stay ahead of him for too long a stretch. But he was hardly that simpleton human anymore and he'd enjoyed a few wonderful months of not having to deal with the constant looking over his shoulder.

Klaus wasn't about to go back to that way of living again "Have we not seen how this already plays out, old man? You lose."

"But not before I take away everything that you love just as you took from me," Mikael replied, his gaze shifting to Caroline and Klaus felt the beast inside him rage at that and he didn't bother to try and stifle it, letting his hybrid features start to show. "Hide behind your bastard roots instead of fighting me like an equal."

Klaus laughed at that, Caroline's hand on the back of his shirt the only thing keeping him grounded. "I'm far superior to you now,  _father_ , and that's something you can't handle. The whelp, the one not of your blood, far surpasses all the others." Klaus smirked at that. "What a disappointment that must be for you."

"You have no chance here," Elijah added, coming to stand at Klaus' side. "You will not get near the girl."

"You stand with him. The one who killed your mother. Who got your brother killed," Mikael replied, turning his gaze toward Elijah. "You can meet the same fate as him."

"I stand with my family. Something you and mother are no longer part of," Elijah informed him, his answer only seeming to enrage Mikael.

"I will hunt you down, every day, waiting for you to slip up." His gaze fell on Caroline causing Klaus to shift again, Elijah stepping even closer to him, both intent on blocking her from view. "What a life you'll get with her. Always on the run, no doubt you'll figure out a way to lock her up to keep her safe from me," Mikael taunted and Klaus could feel his bones breaking at that, the wolf wanting to sink its teeth into Mikael's neck and end his life. "She'll come to hate you."

"Or you could leave. Find mother and start over," Elijah offered up and Klaus couldn't believe his ears. Was he truly trying to bargain with the man? Had he not realized in the last thousand years that nothing would sway Mikael from his need for revenge? "Henrik is alive and well." And would never step foot near Mikael if Klaus had any say in the matter. "Be the bigger person and choose to turn away."

Klaus felt the air shift around them and turned swiftly, grabbing Caroline and pulling her downward toward the ground. His mother appeared a second later, white oak in her hand and if they had still been where they were it would have impaled Caroline's chest. His hand was through the Esther's chest before she had time to react, tearing out her heart as he'd done years ago. Mikael's yell barely registered in his mind as the white oak stake fell to the ground. All he knew was that the man he'd called father wasn't allowed to get his hands on it.

Elijah caught it first, catching Klaus' eye and he didn't like the look that he saw there, the one that echoed back to times when Elijah had tried to protect him from Mikael's wrath when they were younger.

"I see I have my answer," Elijah murmured, the resignation in his brother's voice only adding to his worry. "Take care of Henrik and the others, Niklaus. I will insure these two do not make it back through the rift. Let me protect you as I could never before."

The next moment seemed to happen slower than anything Klaus had experienced, Elijah plunging the stake into Mikael's chest, the two of them burning up in front of his eyes. No sound came out as he tried to scream, the sound catching in his throat as he reached out for his older brother, but there was nothing for him to do. He had just gotten him back, not even had a moment to truly accept that Elijah had found his way to him, and suddenly he was gone again.

This was different than before.

There had been hope that his brother would find a crack and make his way back through it. He'd done so and they should have all been reunited. So of course Esther and Mikael would show up to ruin those plans. Klaus knew Elijah wouldn't be leaving the Other Side this time. He would stay and make certain that the other two would never be able to wreak havoc in their lives ever again.

Gone was the boy who had taught him how to fight, the one who had repeatedly cleaned up his messes, believed there was some good still inside of him if only he tried hard enough to find it. Hearing about it on the phone was far different from seeing it first hand, the reality of the situation hitting him like a ton of bricks. The rage gave way to gut-wrenching sadness, something he tried not to feel, his grief wanting to drag him down and bury him deep.

Caroline's arms curled around him, hugging him close, and Klaus nearly lashed out at her, nearly pushed her down into the ground, wanting to force away the comfort that her body offered. Instead he clung to her as he stared at the charring bodies. He needed to kill, needed to enact the pain he was feeling on someone else and he couldn't do that to the girl murmuring softly to him.

"I am going to rip out Amara's still beating heart in front of Silas and then feed it to him as I bleed him dry," Klaus promised, needing to focus all of his grief and pain into an emotion he knew how to handle and hatred was one he knew all too well.

It was the least he could do for his brother.


	31. Chapter 31

_I think I'll dismember the world and then I'll dance in the wreckage—Neil Gaiman_

* * *

Bonnie wasn't surprised that Qestiyah had placed Amara on a magical island just as she'd done with Silas. Why branch out on tricks when the first one had worked out so nicely? Just like with the last one a Bennett witch was needed to locate it or one could stumble across it accidentally, though she wondered how many who had done that had managed to venture back off of it.

This island was different than the other. While that one had been covered in trees and vegetation similar to the other Greek isles surrounding it, this one was a slab of jagged rocks. It was meant to look uninviting, almost as if it was a deterrent against the treasure that could be found further inland. Thankfully they hadn't met any other sort of obstacles on their way to the tomb. Nothing popped out at them, no one slivered over from the Other Side to try and hinder their advancement.

Bonnie wasn't sure what to make of that, her senses on high alert and she could see from the others' stances that they were also feeling uneasy with the ease of their journey. Maybe there had been no further hurdles because for all intents and purposes Amara was supposed to be dead. There should be no reason for anyone to be seeking the girl out. Even if Silas did rise, Qestiyah had known that the man believed his beloved was dead. That knowledge didn't quite soothe the worry that seeped into her bones.

"Bonnie and I will head down there and do what needs to be done," Sheila started and Bonnie sighed at that, knowing her grandmother's words were going to start an argument.

"You are severely mistaken if you think we're going to allow you to kill her when Nik hasn't contacted us yet about Caroline," Rebekah replied, flashing to stand in front of the tomb's door. "You're not setting foot anywhere in that chamber and if you so much as look at her with any ill intentions I'll rip off your head. I promised my brother and I will not be breaking that one."

"We have a chance to stop others from coming from the Other Side and destroying this world. We should take that opportunity," Sheila protested, glancing over at Bonnie for agreement.

"If there's a chance to save Caroline then I'm taking it, Grams," Bonnie murmured, knowing it wasn't what the other woman wanted to hear. She could practically feel the woman's disappointment at her words even though they were feet away from one another.

But Bonnie knew that Sheila would be dying any day now because she wouldn't allow her link to be severed from Silas. She had already lost her mother. Her father either had no clue what was happening or refused to acknowledge it. Practically every person of her bloodline was dead. Everyone else from Mystic Falls was gone—Jeremy, Matt, Elena. Maybe the Salvatore brothers were still alive out there trying to get Elena back but if she was honest with herself she'd be fine never seeing either of them again.

Caroline was all she had left and she wouldn't lose her too. Not if she had a means to keep her alive long enough for Klaus to rescue her. Maybe waiting would cause a little more chaos in the world but just this once she was going to be selfish and maybe that made her a horrible witch. She thought it might make her out to be a pretty good friend though and Bonnie thought that was the more important of the two. Especially because of how Kol had manipulated her magic. Maybe she wasn't bound to the Spirits any longer but she could feel the tether that tied her to him and once this was all over and Silas dead, she would sever that.

"Glad to see that one of you makes sense," Rebekah murmured approvingly. Bonnie wished she hadn't. The last thing she wanted was approval from a Mikaelson.

"We'll go in and get her, find the cure, and get off this island with her," Bonnie told them, glancing around again. The eerie feeling only seemed to intensify the longer they stayed. Maybe that was part of the magic, a deterrent in its own right, designed to make any who stumbled upon its shores wish to leave as soon as possible.

"Bonnie and I will go in. Rebekah and Henrik can stay out here with you. Make sure you don't try anything stupid," Kol piped in, and Bonnie glared at him. The last person she wanted joining her was Kol. She'd prefer him being a thousand miles away from her at all times. Though she didn't want him left alone with her grandmother either.

At least Henrik would be out there as well because while she didn't trust Rebekah at all, Bonnie did have a feeling the vampire would try hard not to upset the boy. Killing others would no doubt upset him and as long as Sheila didn't try to harm Rebekah or him then there shouldn't be any issues. Not when the Spirits had been for the team up with the Mikaelsons. Though Bonnie also would be surprised if that shifted once the Spirits thought they had ceased being useful.

"Let's just get this over with." She didn't wait for any more discussion to happen, knowing that not everyone liked the plan, and the sooner they started the sooner it would all be over and then she could sever the damn link and be rid of Kol Mikaelson forever.

"If you feel the need for closeness in the deep dark cavern feel free to slink up close to me. I'll gladly hold your curves," Kol told her as he pushed the rock aside that was sealing off the tomb.

Bonnie glared at him as she administered a simple candle lighting spell, the lanterns that run along the walls coming to life. "Try to touch me and I'll light you on fire." It wouldn't kill him but it should still hurt.

The fact he was grinning and that she  _knew_  he was grinning only furthered her distaste for him. She really hated how easily he could push all of her buttons. Bonnie almost wanted to be able to do the same to him, but that require learning precisely what they were and she had no intention of spending that kind of time with him.

It didn't take long to find the chamber that held Amara. There were chains around her, most likely there to keep her locked to the stone slab that she was laid out on. Deep gouges were near her hands, as if she'd tried to claw her way off of it, had struggled against the bonds that held her there.

"Found the cure," Kol commented as he opened the box that was placed on an alter just out of the woman's reach. Her head was twisted in the direction that it sat and Bonnie had a feeling she'd stared at it as she'd slowly wasted away. Desiccation must have been a blessing for her.

"These are spelled to hold her down," Bonnie murmured, looking down at the chains, not surprised that Kol was able to mutter something and the bonds simply fell away. He knew so much more than she did, probably more about magic than even her grandmother knew. That was a scary thought…but also a bit tempting and had her wondering what it would be like to learn all of that knowledge from him.

Those thoughts were quickly cast aside though when she heard a soft rasping. It took a moment for her to pinpoint where it was coming from and when she finally did she took a step back in surprise.

Amara's eyes were open, staring up at her. "Et…" the woman started her mouth barely moving.

Kol stepped over to the two of them, arching a brow as he looked down at her. "Well isn't this an interesting turn of events? Guessing you're finished with your beauty sleep, huh?"

Bonnie fell to the floor, gasping in pain as something grabbed hold of her mind, pulling her under. She could vaguely hear Kol saying her name, trying to snap her out of whatever was happening. She clenched her eyes shut, trying to fight it off as well, but it was no use.

"I am not trying to harm you," a voice started, the pain starting to subside.

Bonnie looked up, trying to figure out what had happened. She looked around; noting that she was in the same place but Kol wasn't there and there was no one on the stone slab. Instead a young woman stood behind it with her back to her. Was this Amara? It was hard to tell because the woman on the slab had been too desicated to make out any real features. Now all she saw was the dark brown hair and old Grecian clothes, something Bonnie had only ever seen in the movies.

"I did not know how else to speak to you. My words will not leave my mouth just yet," the woman continued and turned around to see her. The regret and pain in her gaze was alarming. "You are of her bloodline."

"I am." She figured they were speaking of Qestiyah.

"You have her eyes," Amara murmured, moving around the room, touching little things here and there. "Though they do not hold the contempt that hers did."

Bonnie didn't really know how to reply to that, simply watched her move around, trying to ready herself for an attack in case the woman tried anything.

"You are here to break me from this misery?" Amara asked, watching her carefully and nodding toward the box that Kol had opened back in reality.

"Not quite yet but yes, I am," Bonnie replied, trying to see how the other woman reacted to that statement.

"Because of Silas, yes?" she murmured, the heartbreak in the woman's voice at the other Immortal's name catching Bonnie off-guard. She had known the two were lovers but having heard about it and witnessing a brief display of it were two very different things. "He was not always like this. We only wished to be together forever. It was not…"

Amara looked around the tomb and sighed. "I knew our love would hurt Qestiyah but I believed she would move on and find another. I never meant for any of this to have happened. I have seen what he has done. I have seen the terror that he has unleashed"

Bonnie didn't reply to that. No one ever seemed to mean for the horrors of the world to happen but that didn't seem to stop them from occurring. "I watched my parents die. My brothers and sisters. I have watched this world shift and alter through the years. I have seen loves lost and pain increase. I have seen joy and I've seen despair," Amara continued, moving to sit on the slab.

She stared at the unopened box. "Nothing I know is the same and I am so very tired. All I want is peace."

Should she believe that? Bonnie wasn't certain that she should. Maybe this was all part of an elaborate plan to reunite with her lost love. The woman hadn't seemed to care much about Qestiyah's feelings when everything had been in the planning stages. Though wanting to run off with a lover and become immortal was definitely different than what had transpired. Was it truly evil to want to be loved and be able to love someone in return? Perhaps they had simply gone about it wrong and it had all blown up in their faces, but she didn't quite want to trust the woman just yet.

"We'll give you peace," Bonnie finally replied, and the pain was back in her head as she was ripped from the dream world Amara had created and safely back in reality.

Kol looked murderous, ready to shove the cure down Amara's throat, but Bonnie shook her head. "I'm okay," she murmured, trying to reassure. The other woman didn't have the strength to move and unlike Silas who had been able to gather energy from witches Bonnie didn't think this one had a clue how to do that. Otherwise she would have latched onto the two of them as soon as the chains were off.

"Et interfice me," Amara rasped out and Kol looked back at her, smiling maliciously. [1]

"Oh don't worry. We will be," he promised and handed Bonnie the cure before lifting Amara off the table. Her body seemed to crack at the movement, not having shifted in over two thousand years, but he had no issues moving her and headed toward the stairs.

Bonnie let him go, looking around the chamber that her ancestor had forced Amara into, at the chains that she'd held the woman down with, the constant torment of never being able to die or do a thing. This was all she had seen for however long it had taken for her insides to stop working, for her skin and bones to petrify. This had been Amara's hell for two thousand years all.

Bonnie shook her head, disgusted at what Qestiyah had done. Maybe it was time for that woman's legacy to end because she didn't think she wanted to have any part in something that caused this much misery over being jilted by a lover.

She headed out of the tomb, trying to ignore her grandmother's disappointment over Qestiyah still living. "Nik called. He has Caroline. He'll meet us at the dock," Rebekah informed her. "And then we can finally end this."

Hopefully it would be that easy but since when was anything they had done ever that simple?

[1]—Kill me

* * *

Silas had known as soon as the chaos started that something was  _off_. People didn't simply race toward one building without a specific reason. It had taken him a moment to realize that the terror in their minds had been planted there, that they weren't running from some environmental cause. The addition of the wolves and the smashing of glass in the house had only given credence to his suspicions. It was too late by the time he'd thought to turn around and secure Caroline to him.

She was gone and he was unable to locate her.

He should have figured out what was blocking him from entering her mind instead of playing into her hand about Amara. The doubts she had tried to plant in him had been easy enough to push aside once her incessant prattling had stopped, though they lingered and would no doubt continue to do so until he had his beloved in his arms.

Perhaps Amara wouldn't be fond of all the bloodshed that he had done in order to secure their future but it should be simple enough to avoid her ever finding out. All he would need to do was kill those who had been involved in trying to destroy them. The rest of the world had no idea what was happening and if Silas was able to kill Klaus and his lot then there would be no one left to tell Amara all of the sordid little details.

They would be able to start anew without anyone's interference and live out their forever together. Destroying the Other Side would also happen as he had no intention of letting any of them be able to miraculously return and ruin all of his carefully crafted plans. Two thousand years had helped him come up with a variety of them but in none had he envisioned Amara being alive. That knowledge meant he needed to rework a few things but the outcome would all remain the same.

If only he could find Qestiyah and force her to watch the destruction of all she had created. If only he could destroy her in the ways she had destroyed him by making it look as though his beloved was dead. The utter devastation of those moments when he'd come upon pieces of who he had believed to be Amara, when he had endured Qestiyah's gloating over her death before she'd bound and locked him away. He wanted her to endure the pain of slowly being petrified, of the constant awareness of the world around him that he'd been unable to interact with aside from those foolish enough to falter onto his island.

But if it meant losing Amara then perhaps he could settle for only destroying the Other Side.

Trying to locate Caroline would do him no good. Her presence was being shielded from witches. Besides he had other means to track down the lot of them before they found Amara.

Silas knew that would be their destination, they would head to wherever Qestiyah had decided to lock her up. Caroline would head that way as well as would Klaus, who was most likely one of the wolves who had helped with the attack. He'd only managed to kill a few of those creatures but every human that had been involved lay dead at his feet.

Causing embolisms in their brains had taken a lot of his energy and he could practically feel the weariness in his bones. The energy he'd succeeded in siphoning from the last few witches was nearly depleted and the last thing he wanted to do was face off against the others without being at his peak strength. Not with Amara's life hanging in the balance.

So first he would seek out some more witches and feed from them, taking all that they had to offer and rebuild his strength. He knew there were more in the area. Ones who were loyal to him and misguided in their beliefs that he would bring about power for them. It was the same tale spun over the centuries, one he'd deliberately set out with one of the witches who had accidentally landed on his island. Spinning lies in that one's head had been easy enough. She had been seeking dark magic and had left to spread the lies he had told her and helped create the first of his following.

That cult had been all but wiped out by one of the Mikaelson siblings but the lies had continued to spread, tempting those who sought more power than they should ever have had.

He would find the witches and drain them dry. Then he would utilize the link he still had with Sheila Bennett to locate the others. Damon and Henrik's links seemed to have been broken, no doubt undone by the younger Bennett witch or another witch with enough skill, and while that was disappointing all he needed was one. Silas had a feeling that Sheila hadn't allowed her link to be destroyed, believing that balance needed to remain and she needed to die again. The elder Bennett should still be with the others and he would happily use their connection to bring about all of their downfall. He doubted that they even realized just yet that he was able to track them using that link.

But they would come to understand that when he killed all of them. When he forced the Mikaelsons to watch their youngest brother's throat be torn open by wolves all over again before he drove that precious stake into their hearts. Or when he drained Bonnie Bennett dry in front of her grandmother to further destroy Qestiyah's legacy and make a mockery of Sheila's moral stance. Though Silas mostly looked forward to bringing the Hybrid down to his knees as he tore Caroline Forbes to pieces in front of him before killing him as well.

And then he would wake Amara and they would rule the world.

Together.

_Forever_.

* * *

There would be no reprieve for anyone who dared to get in Klaus' way with what needed to be done. If either Bennett witch dared to try and stop what he intended to do he would simply remove their heads and deal with the consequences later. Too much was at stake for allowing discussion on any matter. They had lost too much and he would do everything in his power to rescue Elijah from oblivion, whether the two witches wanted to help or not. His brother was not allowed to sacrifice himself for the rest of them. He wouldn't allow it.

From the way Caroline continuously touched his arm and the glances she kept on doing he knew that she was worried. That his silent state since gathering her up and flashing them off to find a phone he could use to contact Rebekah had her wondering what was going on in his head. Klaus had no intention of revealing the dark nature of his thoughts, had a feeling that the depth of their depravity might have her start running for the hills and he wasn't about to allow her out of his sight.

The others were heading off the boat and Klaus made sure each of his siblings looked okay, that they were all unharmed before his gaze fixed on the almost stone like person that Kol was carrying toward them. "Henrik," Klaus started, holding out his hand to his youngest brother.

He had entrusted the cure to the boy back at the small cafe in secret, hadn't wanted Sheila Bennett to know which of them was carrying it, and while the witch would no doubt strike him or Caroline down to get what she needed, he had a feeling she might hesitate against an innocent. Despite all his family had done over the centuries Henrik still fell into that category.

The boy handed over the small vial, smiling brightly at him and at Caroline. Klaus watched the boy step over to her, enveloping her in a hug that took a moment for Caroline to respond to. "Jeg er glad du er alirght. Han ville ikke ha gjort det uten deg [1]," the boy murmured, and Klaus frowned at that statement, despising how true it was. There was little he could do to stop Caroline from being any kind of weakness for him though. He would not part with her but he also couldn't lock her away for safe keeping. He had to come to terms with the fact that his heart would always be so easily exposed but it was a far better future than the one steeped in loneliness and betrayal that he knew would greet him without her presence.

He had meant all of it when he had told Stefan that the two of them memorialized their dead. Gathering the letters and the names had been that constant reminder that they were alone and always would be. But there would be no more gathering of letters, no more daggering his siblings and carting them around so they couldn't leave him.

Now was a time to start fresh or as fresh as an immortal Hybrid could after a thousand years of habit.

"I take it that's the girl?" Klaus watched Kol set the body down on one of the benches.

The dock was seldom used but Klaus had compelled the few people who were hanging around to ignore anything that might happen. "She wants to die," Bonnie started and Klaus arched a brow at that, not particularly caring if the woman wanted to or not. She  _would_  die.

Klaus was at the bench in a flash, shoving the cure down the woman's throat. She wasn't a witch, wouldn't be supernatural in any way once the cure worked its magic, and he meant to capitalize on that as soon as possible. Silas would be tracking them and it was only a matter of time before he found them all. They needed a failsafe and he meant to use the woman in front of them for that purpose.

Amara's body quickly shed the petrified state, her skin turning back to its original tone, black hair nearly touching the ground. "Sas ef̱charistó̱ [2]," the woman started and Klaus pressed her down onto the bench when she moved to sit up, his hand digging into her chest.

The others were screaming, yelling some nonsense about him not killing her. Oh, he wasn't about to do that but he did want her to feel pain while he did his next step. He wanted to smell the fear pour off of her as he stared into her eyes. Her language was one he knew and his lips curved into a malevolent smile as she cried out as his nails dug a little deeper.

Rebekah was on his arms, trying to pry him off of her. Klaus could hear Henrik crying in the background, heard Caroline's voice trying to reassure the boy. The witches were yelling at him, but Klaus could hear Kol countering whatever spell they were trying to use to remove him. At least one of them seemed to trust what he was doing. Or perhaps Kol just wanted to have a little bit of fun.

"You are going to go to Silas when he comes. You will tell him how much you have missed him, how much you love him, that you cannot wait to start your life together now that you are finally free of Qestiyah," Klaus compelled, watching Amara's eyes glaze over at his words. "And once you are close enough you will jam the cure down his throat. Once he's swallowed it, you'll shove a lovely little dagger into your heart and let him know that everything you had said before was a _lie_  and that you hope he rots."

Tears streamed down the girl's face as she repeated the compulsion back to him. "Oh, and no using the dagger on anyone but Silas," Klaus added, and Rebekah's grip had loosened and she'd shifted back to speak to Henrik as well. Kol handed him the other vial and Klaus tucked it into the girl's hand.

"I do so love when you play dirty," Kol remarked, winking at Klaus who released the girl, turning his attention to the two Bennett witches. Kol handed over a small dagger, instructing her where to keep it.

"I have a task for the two of you," Klaus started, unsurprised that the two of them bristled at the idea of helping him after what he'd done. "Was she not to be cured and killed anyway? All I did was put a little fear into her. Barely even a scratch on her."

"What do you want?" Bonnie snapped, glaring at him much like she had any other time he'd needed her help. She never liked doing the tasks he set out but she always did them. Perhaps he wouldn't need to threaten people that she cared for this time.

"I want you to locate Elijah's presence on the Other Side and pull him here before Amara's death," Klaus replied, and of course Sheila was shaking her head at the idea. He stepped forward before she could speak, wanting nothing more than to crush the older woman's windpipe and be done with her. "It's not a request. I'm sure Bonnie can fill you in on the usual counter offers I have in my pocket. Not many Bennetts left running around. Be a tragedy if I dedicated the next ten years to their complete eradication."

"Klaus!" Caroline protested, but he ignored her, staring down the younger one and knowing she would cave. Bonnie Bennett was always looking out for the others more than herself.

"Feel free to locate Elena as well and bring her along for the ride," Klaus added, knowing that piece would be hard to turn down.

"It's fine, Caroline," Bonnie murmured before looking over at Kol. "But I'll need help that my Grams can't provide."

"Oh goodie. I've been looking for a way to show off what I can do," Kol replied, clapping a hand against Amara's back. The young woman shook at the contact, watching them all with wide eyes, practically shaking with every breath she took.

"What did you compel her to do?" Caroline asked Klaus as Kol headed toward Bonnie, looking entirely too eager to do any spell work. At least his brother had been successful with that particular linking. Hopefully he had been just as successful at unlinking Henrik from Silas.

"To be our very own Trojan horse." He thought it was quite the brilliant idea. Silas would succeed in obtaining Amara, would no doubt be ecstatic to be reunited with the girl, and Klaus wanted nothing more than to watch it all end in tragedy. Having the girl kill herself in front of Silas seemed like a rather fitting punishment for all the Immortal had done to them. "But not until we've found Elijah and returned him here."

"I think you will find that you have much more urgent matters to deal with," Sheila remarked, nodding toward the end of the pier.

Klaus turned, grimacing at the sight of a large group of people. They smelled like werewolf to him. He spotted Ray, his first failed hybrid, in the group and Klaus had a feeling the others were also ones he'd tried turning before he learned of needing the doppelganger's blood. Probably wanted to try their hands at revenge. There weren't more than fifteen of them and that should be easy enough to take care of. After all he'd taken care of twelve hybrids without breaking a sweat; werewolves would hardly be a problem,

Unfortunately Silas walked through the group before he could even make a move, looking more than ready to destroy Klaus and the others. "I am here for Amara. Once I have her feel free to rip each and every single one of them apart," the Immortal informed the others and Klaus could feel the spike of fear that traveled through Caroline, and the Bennetts.

Kol and Rebekah were already in front of Henrik, ready to try and protect him. Klaus shifted so that Caroline was out of the madman's line of sight as well. "None of this had to happen," Silas continued, staring at Klaus. "If you had not tried to stop me I doubt I would have cared at all about your existence."

"Still would have needed to deal with our parents running around," Kol pointed out, and Klaus pressed his lips together at that reminder. His parents who were now being kept on the Other Side because of Elijah.

Silas wasn't listening to them though, beckoning Amara to his side instead. "Try to detain her and I will make you watch as I tear your siblings and Caroline apart," Silas warned.

It was all happening too fast, but there was no stopping the girl from moving forward. There would be no time to locate Elijah, to bring him back to the living. He would be gone from them forever if Amara was able to carry out her compulsion.

Part of Klaus wanted to shout for her to stop, to delay the inevitable, but there might not be another opportunity to take Silas down. They could not allow him to remain and every moment that the Other Side continued to break meant the chances of more people coming back to haunt them. It meant that the likelihood of losing Henrik and his other siblings, of losing Caroline, increased, and he could not allow that to happen.

Elijah's sacrifice was not allowed to be in vain.

It would not be forgotten.

_I am sorry, brother_.

He would ensure that no more of his siblings would meet the same end.

Klaus kept his gaze locked on the scene before them, watching Silas embrace the young woman. "Agapi̱méni̱ mou," Amara murmured, reaching up to stroke Silas' cheek. [3]

It was almost a heartwarming moment, the reunion between two lovers who had been parted for centuries. The look in Silas' eyes as he gazed at the girl reminded Klaus of the way he looked at Caroline and perhaps that should have brought about some pity in him, but it only seemed to increase his anticipation for all Silas' world to come tumbling down.

The love in the Immortal's eyes was quickly shaken as Amara shoved the cure down his throat. Silas' scream, the retching that he tried to do to stop himself from swallowing it, would echo in Klaus' mind like a sweet symphony for years to come, one he would happily replay as he remembered the Immortal's downfall. The betrayal that he saw there would be something that he would paint over and over until he captured its perfection.

But it was the utter despair as Amara plunged the knife into her chest, that look of realization as Klaus flashed in front of Silas before he could catch his beloved from hitting the ground. Klaus didn't hesitate, didn't say anything of importance, no taunts, nothing. He simply shoved his hand through the man's chest and ripped out his mortal heart, letting his body slump to the ground beside Amara's. The last thing they needed was for Silas to have an opportunity to use magic against them.

It didn't quite have the fan-fair that he'd have preferred but it got the job done. There was a scream from behind him and Klaus nearly turned before it registered that it was only Bonnie's voice that he heard. The sobbing murmurs for her grandmother only cemented that he didn't need to bother with what was happening back there. It seemed the woman had been foolish enough not to bother with being unlinked. She'd chosen her fate, no use in crying over it.

"Who wants to go next?" Klaus asked, looking over at the werewolves who remained on the opposite end of the pier, watching him with wide eyes. "It took me not even five minutes to dispatch of twelve hybrids that had considerably more strength than the lot of you combined. What hope do you think any of you have?"

They looked ready to run and he almost let them, but the idea of having to deal with another lingering threat didn't appeal to Klaus. Considering Rebekah and Kol stepped forward seconds after he'd finished asking his question, Klaus had a feeling the idea didn't sit well with them either.

Blood stained their clothing and bodies by the time they were finished, body parts strewn across the dock. Klaus turned back, watching Caroline try to soothe a crying Bonnie who cradled her grandmother's body. Henrik couldn't quite look at his siblings and Klaus noted how the boy shifted closer to Caroline as they headed back to them.

"Now what?" Rebekah asked, moving to sit beside Henrik. Thankfully he didn't flinch away from her touch and after a deep breath he even looked up at her.

"Du trenger et bad," Henrik told her, causing Kol to laugh and Rebekah to ruffle his hair. [4]

"Kol and Rebekah get Amara and Silas' bodies onto the boat," Klaus instructed. He wouldn't be satisfied with their deaths until they were nothing but ash scattered in the wind.

He had a feeling that Bonnie wouldn't leave without her grandmother's body and that Caroline would refuse to leave without her friend. So Klaus simply picked the woman up, intending to bring her to the boat as well, but Bonnie's magic lashed out at him, causing him to drop Sheila's body to the ground. "Don't you touch her," the witch warned, her voice colder than he had ever heard it and the look she gave him was so full of hate that he readied himself to kill her on the spot.

"Bonnie," Caroline started, placing a hand on her friend's shoulder and Klaus stilled at the movement, hoping the witch wasn't too far gone in her grief to lash out at her friend, ready to stop her if she made one wrong move toward Caroline.

The witch's shoulders sagged, the magic that was keeping him in place faltering as Bonnie leaned against Caroline. She sobbed against her shoulder, holding tightly onto her friend. "I wanted her to live."

"She didn't want to, Bonnie," Caroline murmured, gently stroking her friend's hair. "Come on, let's get on the boat. Klaus will bring her and you can bury her however you want."

"No." She pulled back from Caroline, still glaring daggers at him as she turned. Bonnie raised her hand and her grandmother's body levitated into the air. "I'll carry her. She wouldn't want him handling her. The least I can do is respect that."

"Okay, let's get on the boat then," Caroline continued, nodding toward the one Kol and Rebekah were heading to with the other bodies. She glanced over at Klaus and he stilled waiting for disapproval of some kind, unable to help being startled by her reassuring smile.

In a thousand years no one ever smiled at him quite like Caroline did and he coveted each and every one of them. "We did not save Elijah," Henrik murmured as he moved to stand beside him, his younger brother's words cutting deeply. "But I am pleased that you saved her. She is much better than Tatia. I am glad you finally found her." He paused, looking Klaus over before continuing. "And you need a bath as well."

Henrik grinned at him before heading to the boat as well, leaving Klaus staring at his younger brother's back, unsure what to make of the boy's words. There would be time to consider it all later. For now they would figure out what to do after that once the bodies were disposed of and he knew for certain that it was all finally finished, that there were no other surprises waiting in the wings.

_[1]-I am glad you are alight. He would not have made it without you._

_[2]-Thank you_

_[3]—My beloved_

_[4]-You need a bath_

* * *

It wasn't exactly a funeral pyre but Caroline wasn't sure what else to call the mound of branches and various moss that the three bodies and been placed on. Sheila's body was on her own, more lovingly crafted, and not simply dumped there like the other two had been. She had helped Bonnie position her grandmother so she simply looked as though she was sleeping, listened as Bonnie said a few words for the woman, Henrik standing beside the two of them as well as they bowed their heads to pay a silent respect.

Not even two seconds after their small ceremony ended did Kol ignite the fires beneath each batch, looking entirely too giddy at his ability to use magic. Caroline still wasn't entirely sure how that had come to pass except that he'd used her friend. She hoped that part came to bite him in the ass.

"I  _told you_  that I would do my own," Bonnie hissed, turning to glower at him and Caroline knew that Kol's cheeky shrug would not be taken well.

She didn't expect the fury from her friend though and nearly stepped forward to try and calm her down. Henrik's hand on her arm and the quiet shake of his head stopped her progression. She would never be able to repeat the words that Bonnie had muttered—only knew that it was in Latin because of a few words that she recognized. But Kol was on his back in minutes, glaring at her in return.

"There. The link is severed and you'll get no extra strength from me ever again," Bonnie muttered, holding her head up high.

"You let me know when you're ready to reach your true potential, darling," Kol replied, wagging his eyebrows at her.

"You disgust me," Bonnie replied, scoffing at his words.

"Usually starts out that way. But don't forget you're without your precious Spirits guidance now," Kol pointed out. "So when you want to learn what all you can truly do…well, I'll be around."

She wrinkled her nose at that, her expression full of disdain before she looked over at Caroline. "You're going to stay with them, aren't you?"

"I need to find my mom and compel her to remember." But after that…she had meant what she'd said to Klaus all those days back on the other boat. She wanted to see the world and she wanted him to be her guide. That hadn't changed, if anything her need to do that had strengthened.

"And after that?" Bonnie persisted, watching her closely, looking for a tiny inkling of hope that what she thought wasn't true.

"I'm not going back to Mystic Falls." There was little point in heading back there for any of them. "Are you sure you want to do that anyway?"

"My dad is there," Bonnie reminded, but he was hardly tying her to that place and Caroline knew that, arching her brow at her friend's answer. "I think I'll take some time to try and find some witches. Ones who weren't all gaga over Silas." There had to be some more of those, right?

"If you need a travel buddy…" Kol offered, and the two of them glared at him before Bonnie stepped forward to hug Caroline.

"I'm expecting calls once a week so I know I don't need to track down Klaus and kill him for locking you up or something else just as insane to keep you safe," Bonnie murmured to her and Caroline squeezed her a little harder, not quite ready to be separated from her all over again.

"Do you think they were able to find Elena?" she whispered, wondering how Stefan and Damon had faired with that task. Elijah had found Klaus. Maybe Elena had found them.

"If Damon doesn't seek us out to try and murder us for not helping then I'm going with yes, but if he does…" Bonnie sighed, neither option sounding all that great to them. "I kind of hope she didn't, that she didn't have to endure learning all that she did."

Caroline nodded because what else was there to say. From everything they knew Elena had been broken beyond repair so maybe for her death was the better option. Caroline could feel Klaus watching the two from behind, his gaze seeming to follow all of her movements. She had a feeling that he was uncertain that she'd follow through with all she had said before and she couldn't really blame him for that. Not after the chaos that had happened between now and then.

She stepped away from Bonnie, leaving her to watch her grandmother's body and headed over to him. "So what's going to happen now?" she asked as she stopped beside Klaus, turning back toward the others so she could see everyone.

Henrik was animatedly talking to Rebekah and Kol, using words that she didn't understand, but at least they all looked happy. "Kol will stick around for a few weeks, maybe even months before he gets the urge to wander. Rebekah will stay with Henrik; try to dote on him as a mother before she realizes that he needs a sister and not the former. And I suppose what I do next depends on you," Klaus informed her, still looking entirely too guarded for her liking.

"You don't want to stay with Henrik?" Because she didn't believe that for a second. Not after he had finally gotten him back.

That only seemed to cause Klaus' stance to stiffen, no doubt taking that as a way to back out on their plans. "Because like I'm thinking to  _really_  learn Italian I'm so going to need to stay there for more than a few months, right? Plus Italy is a pretty big country. Like there's a whole bunch of different places to see and experiences to be had so like…I dunno. We could so see one country and you could still get time with your brother?" She glanced up at him, arching a brow to see what he thought of the idea.

Caroline loved how his defenses seemed to chip away at her words; his genuine smile something she wanted to bring out as often as she could. "We do have forever to see the  _whole_  world and I kinda want to savor each and every place. Plus my mom has been there for weeks now and I'm sure she's loving it, so it could help with the whole acclimating back to having her real memories part if she wasn't just uprooted right away."

Of course that part was up to her mother, but considering their conversations before Liz had been compelled, Caroline didn't think her mom wanted to head back to Mystic Falls anytime soon. Especially if she wasn't there. "What do you think?"

"It does seem to work in my favor," Klaus remarked, reaching over to touch her cheek. His thumb caressed it and Caroline didn't think she would ever quite get over the butterflies in her stomach that seemed to come about when he looked at her like  _that_. It was with such amazement, like he couldn't quite believe that she was real.

"You're just lucky it works out in mine too or you'd so have been out of luck," she started, not quite able to finish the sentence as Klaus' lips pressed against hers. It wasn't too hard or too soft, but there was an urgency to it, a promise of things to come, of a future that she could barely imagine.

One that hopefully would be full of less turmoil than the last few months, though she knew there would always be some. Trouble would no doubt follow all of them from time to time, but at least they had made it this far. Silas was dead. The Other Side was gone.

Now it was time to figure out how to carry on.

It would be hard and Caroline had a feeling that the reality of everything would start to sink in soon, that the depth of all they had lost and sacrificed would catch up with them and bring them to their knees. As long as they could figure out a way to get back up again, to live again, then all of the losses wouldn't be in vain.

Not Matt's or Jeremy's.

Not Tyler's or Elena's.

Not Elijah's.

Not Grams and hundreds of others that she couldn't even give name to.

There had to be a better tomorrow or what was the point of all the trials they had faced? She had to believe in better or the weight of everything that had happened would drag her down and Caroline Forbes refused to let the darkness overwhelm her.

 


	32. Chapter 32

_Someone I loved once gave me a box full of darkness. It took me years to understand that this too, was a gift.-Mary Oliver_

* * *

Waiting for the boat to dock at the pier on the mainland had been difficult for Bonnie. At least they were off the island and she no longer needed to deal with the smell of her grandmother and the other two burning or the sight of them becoming nothing more than ash. There would be no forgetting that smell, the burning of flesh would be seared into her memory until she died. It had been one thing to endure it with the strangers they had needed to burn, but doing so to her grandmother had been traumatic to say the least. She'd waited though, needing them to become nothing but those small grey pieces, because none of them could afford some new twist to bring Silas back. They needed to be certain that he was gone forever, that the sacrifices of countless others hadn't been in vain.

She had been able to scatter her grandmother's ashes but the other two she'd obliterated; using magic to make sure not an ounce of them was left in the world. Bonnie didn't want there to be any chance that someone could utilize any part of Silas or Amara in any kind of spell in the future.

"You don't have to look for witches if you don't want. You could come with me. You know my mom would love having you around too," Caroline tried as the two stood on the deck of the boat, looking out at the water around them.

"I love you and I'm trying really hard not to condone your choices here, Caroline," Bonnie started, turning a little to face her friend. "I can see that he does care about you. Probably even loves you in whatever twisted way that guy can love. But I don't want to be around any of them unless I need to be."

Especially Kol. After what he'd done to her, how he'd used her, she wanted nothing more than to be an entire continent away from him. Even if he held more knowledge about witchcraft than half the witches in the world could hope to possess. She'd figure it out on her own. Wasn't that what she had done all of these years anyway? And without the Spirits meddling in her business maybe she could really see all that she could do.

"They're definitely an acquired taste," Caroline murmured with a shrug. "But we'll just need to schedule time for you and me every so often, okay? Like girls' weekends every other month or so. No family allowed. Just the two of us catching up."

"And don't forget you need to call me once a week so I know he's not keeping you captive somewhere," Bonnie reminded, and Caroline nodded. "I'll let you know if I hear from Elena."

"I'll do the same," Caroline promised, though she looked about as doubtful about that being an actual possibility as Bonnie felt. Elijah had made it back from the Other Side only to be brought back to it. Considering everything that Elena had done in the last few weeks, Bonnie hoped their friend hadn't stepped foot back in the real world, that she'd gotten to die without knowing what she'd been forced to do.

"I don't like that you're going to be out there all by yourself," Caroline continued with a sigh, and Bonnie smiled at the concern in her friend's voice. "Like we still don't know who all did manage to come back through the veil and is still like lurking around the edges. So you just have to promise me that you're going to be extra careful and really look out for yourself, okay?"

"I'm not the one with a long list of enemies who might want payback," Bonnie pointed out, glancing over at where Klaus was standing, chatting to the youngest Mikaelson. Whether or not they would need to deal with any remaining Silas followers was yet to be seen but she would deal with that kind of scenario when if it happened.

"I don't believe that was a promise to be extra careful and look out for yourself, Bonnie Bennett!" Caroline countered, hands on her hips as she gave Bonnie a pointed look.

The boat docked and Bonnie gathered Caroline up in a hug, knowing it would be difficult for the two of them to let one another go. "I promise," she murmured, hearing Caroline sniffle at that.

It was difficult to let go of her best friend, even more so once they were all on the dock and she was going to be walking away a different way from the others. "Don't be a stranger, darling," Kol drawled out, and she fought back the urge to sneer at him, deciding it was better to simply ignore his presence altogether.

She stopped at Klaus though. "If you hurt her, I'll find a way to unlink you from the bloodline and then kill you," Bonnie told him, not really all that surprised when he smiled at her, almost as though he respected that.

With a quick mouthed 'love you' to Caroline which was reciprocated, Bonnie headed away from the others, needing to distance herself as much as possible from them. She would call her dad once she was far enough away; get him to wire her some money and then head back to Mystic Falls for a bit. Then she'd gather all of the grimoires that Luka and his father had collected, her Grams' one, use the money her grandmother had left her and get out of that town.

Bonnie wasn't quite sure where she would go after that but she had a feeling the magic would show her where to go.

* * *

"I give her a year a before she comes crawling back trying to find me," Kol commented as Bonnie disappeared into the crowd.

"I give you six months before you go looking to bother her," Rebekah countered, and Caroline tried not to snort at that. "You would think that finally getting the power you wanted would lessen your fascination with witches."

"Now now, Bekah, don't worry. I'll be happily spending the next year by your side so you don't throw any tantrums over being left alone. We both know what these two will be off doing together," Kol waggled his eyebrows as he looked over at Caroline and Klaus.

"Not in front of Henrik!" Rebekah growled and glanced over at their youngest brother who was looking between the lot of them, trying to understand what was happening.

"Oh he doesn't even understand my insinuations yet," Kol shrugged, smiling brightly at the boy who reciprocated it.

"Now what though?" Rebekah asked, deciding it was better to ignore Kol's antagonizing than play into it.

"We're going to go find my mom and compel her memories back." At least that's what Caroline thought they were going to do. She looked up at Klaus. "Right?"

"She's at the villa we own in the Tuscany countryside. I thought the rest of you could head to the apartments in Florence and we'll meet up there," Klaus informed them, and the tension Caroline didn't even realize she'd been holding seemed to lift off her shoulders, making her feel infinitely lighter.

She yearned to see her mother, to know that she was well, and that the compulsion had been worth it. Even though her mom had wanted it to happen, that it had been the best way to keep her safe, Caroline still didn't like the fact that she had done it.

"You're not going to be heading off on some worldwide tour?" Rebekah asked the surprise evident in her voice as she looked between the two of them. "I thought that had been your plan once all of this was over."

"Plans change, sister, I'm sure you're aware of that phenomenon," Klaus replied, his gaze landing on Henrik. "I am entrusting that the two of you can get Henrik and yourselves there without any incident."

"We're not children, Nik," Kol pointed out and Klaus grimaced at that.

"And he's not immortal yet. So do remember that when you decide on doing any of your antics along the way," Klaus replied, turning his attention back to Henrik. "Du vil være trygg med Rebekka og Kol. Jeg vil se deg i et par dager." [1]-You will be safe with Rebekah and Kol. I will see you in a few days.

Henrik hugged him and Caroline watched as Klaus hesitated for a moment before reciprocating the gesture. "We'll get the apartment ready for everyone then," Rebekah started, looking over at Caroline. "I take it that I'll need to make a room for your mother as well and that you'll be in Nik's room."

Okay, that was a little too fast. How was she supposed to answer that question without creating doubt in Klaus' head? But automatically sharing a room with him from the start was like a huge step that she wasn't quite sure she was even ready to make. "Caroline will be in the room next to mine. Set up one for her mother as well. It'll be up to Liz to decide if she joins us or not," Klaus replied, saving Caroline from having to make that decision.

Henrik stepped over, giving Caroline a hug as well, and while no words passed between the two of them, she felt as though she understood that he was wishing for her to be safe. She hoped he picked up English quickly. She really wanted to be able to understand what was going on in that boy's head.

"You know what to do if you do not hear from us in three days," Klaus looked between Rebekah and Kol who both nodded, and Caroline looked at him, wondering what the hell the protocol was for that as the other three headed off into the crowd.

"So what are they supposed to do if that happens?" she asked as they started walking as well.

"After a thousand years on the run, Caroline, my siblings and I have come up with multiple plans on what to do if any of us were to go missing," Klaus replied, offering his arm to her which she took without hesitation, slipping her hand into it. "Considering we still do not know all that is waiting for us because of what the cracks in the veil could have let crawl back to our world, extra vigilance is warranted."

"Not many people even know you exist though, right?" That's how she remembered it. "You're like the boogeyman of stories. Hell, I don't even think most realize that you guys are an actual family. Cause at first we so didn't. That was like a big reveal."

"I'd say word has gotten out about certain aspects because of my seeking werewolves to turn into hybrids. But you're correct, most don't know even a fraction of what your Mystic Falls' circle was privy to," Klaus murmured. "Most of those who did were dead but I can't guarantee that they stayed that way any longer. Then there are those who hold personal grudges for one reason or another."

"People tend to take issue with someone who murders their loved ones. Surprising, right?" she replied, and he arched a brow at her sarcasm. "Just saying, it's your own fault that you've got a long list of potential enemies that could be lurking around. You could have spent a thousand years raising puppies."

"I think you'll find, Caroline, that our nature has a way of pushing us down a certain path," Klaus informed her and she frowned at that. "We're predators by nature. You may be able to squash the urge to kill as you feed but it is always lurking there, just below the surface. We will be the ones to survive when the civilizations you see around us are nothing but paintings in museums, these buildings you see nothing but an archeologist's dig site."

It was daunting to think about their life in such a way, to see everything around them as nothing more than a memory that she would carry about and that the history books would never quite be able to capture. "Let's just go and find my mom."

She wasn't quite ready to take in everything else beyond that just yet.

* * *

Everything was happening too fast for Stefan. One second he'd had his brother at his side and the next he'd watched him get pulled away, practically swallowed into oblivion. He had tried to go after him, to find the hole in the rift that Damon must have been dragged through, but that had proved to be a useless task. A witch had been able to bring Elena back though so a witch had to be able to bring Damon back as well.

He hadn't always had the best relationship with witches over the years, mostly he'd steered clear of them, but there were a few that Lexi had told him about just in case he ever needed the help. Stefan wasn't sure how his dead best friend would feel about him using one of her friends to bring back the person who had murdered her, but Damon was  _his brother_. He had to try and save him before the Other Side ceased to exist.

"I can offer you no promises, Stefan Salvatore," the woman told him as she allowed him into her home. "I am only doing this because you've said he was dragged there instead of it being his time to die."

Stefan nodded, not wanting to say much more. Technically Damon had already been brought back once from the Other Side by Silas but the witch didn't need to know all the details. He watched her set up her alter before looking around the room, stopping as he spotted an old photograph of the woman and Lexi. Was she still on the Other Side too? Had she tried to come back over? Or was she content to be where she was now?

"I'm sorry," the woman started, breaking Stefan from his thoughts and he turned back to her. "It's not there."

"What do you mean?" He refused to give words to his suspicion. It couldn't be gone already. There  _had_ to be a chance. Damon was coming back. There wasn't an alternative.

"I won't be able to locate him any longer," the woman continued, and he tried to shut her voice out, to not hear what she was telling him. "The link to Other Side is gone."

The pain of losing Damon forever, of never being able to make amends with his brother, pierced through the very heart of Stefan and it would have brought him to his knees, it would have torn him apart if he let it. The constant drumming sound that always followed him in a room with humans grew louder and he focused on that instead of the woman's voice. Perhaps he should have taken off his ring and walked out into the sun to greet death like an old friend or staked himself or partook in a million other easy deaths that would have joined him with his brother.

Instead he flipped that little switch, shutting off the emotions, morals he clung so tightly to flying out the window as the puttering of the witch's heart pounded in his ears, urging him toward her. She was gathering up her materials and murmuring condolences when he attacked, fangs in her neck before she could lift a hand against him. He ripped himself away once he'd drunk the last drop of blood, letting her fall lifeless to the floor.

Lexi's face stared back at him from the photograph on the wall and while that should have brought about some form of guilt, Stefan didn't feel a single ounce of emotion and simply walked out of the witch's house, looking for his next kill.

* * *

Klaus could practically breathe in Caroline's excitement as he drove the car he'd procured down the winding roads in the Tuscan hills. They were nearing the small village where her mother was, the houses finally visible in the distance. Vineyards dotted the landscape on either side of them, green hills rising to the north of them, and he watched out of the corner of his eye as she sighed happily, taking in all of that breathtaking beauty.

"This is what she's seen for the last few weeks?" Caroline looked over at him and Klaus enjoyed how carefree she looked in that moment. It was a stark contrast to the worry that had been embedded in her features since her mother had left them.

"I figured this would be an ideal setting for her to be. Not quite a contrast to Mystic Falls. It is a small town, but considering how easy it is to get lost in a big city I thought this would be easier for her to acclimate to." The villa had already been prepped for her appearance and Klaus had made sure that when Liz left them that she had enough money to get by for years if needed. The villa and all of its bills were already handled and what Liz would need to buy at the local farmer's market to eat would hardly put a dent in the funds she'd walked away with back at that airport.

"She'll have made friends, won't she?" Caroline murmured as they arrived at the outskirts of the small town. "She'll have started a whole life here."

"A fake life. One that doesn't hold a candle to the one that has you in it," Klaus replied, noting the sag in Caroline's shoulders as she settled back against her seat.

"She won't have to worry about vampires here though. Or remember about my dad leaving. And dying. And every other horrible thing that's happened," Caroline started and Klaus pulled the car over, thankful that there had been a space available.

"You're forgetting that she won't have the good memories either, Caroline. Compulsion takes away the memories but it doesn't quite fill that hole that's in her heart at the moment," Klaus told her as he shifted to get a better look at her. "She doesn't remember you right now, but her body remembers your hugs, it remembers the smell of your hair, the lilt of your voice. You're an ache she can't explain and will never be able to soothe until she remembers you."

"You don't know that though," Caroline protested, shaking her head at him. "Maybe there's no ache."

"There is one, Caroline." He reached out and brushed her cheek, smiling as she leaned into the touch. "She will be happy to see you once she knows who you are. Now, nightfall is nearly upon us. Let's go find her so we can get back on the road soon."

She nodded and the two of them exited the car. Caroline was still looking around the village, taking in all the different architecture. Perhaps they could stay for a day in the small town, give her a chance to soak it all in and allow Liz to say goodbye to anyone she'd met. That was if the Sheriff even wished to leave with them. She was free to stay if she wanted, but Klaus had a feeling she'd want time with Caroline more than to stay in the small town. She could always return to it once she was ready.

He started leading Caroline down the winding cobblestone road in the direction of where Liz would be residing. Out of the corner of his eye he spotted a face he hadn't seen in centuries, one that belonged to a vampire he'd compelled to tear out his own heart. Up ahead he saw the man's former companion, the one who he had compelled to walk into a burning building and stay there until he was nothing but dust.

Their gazes weren't on him though, locked instead on Caroline, following her every movement and Klaus had an idea of what they were planning. They had no hope of going against him, but she was a baby vampire, easily overpowered by two four hundred year old vampires if given the opportunity. He meant to ensure they never got within a foot of her.

He lifted a coin from his pocket and flicked it at the first vampire, embedding it into the man's skull, the force of it causing him to fall. The second one chose that moment to attack, trying to get at Caroline as Klaus grabbed him around the neck and pushed him onto the road. It was Caroline's hand that went through the man's chest and ripped out his heart though, her breathing heavy as she looked at Klaus, trying to figure out what was happening.

There was still the other one to deal with, he'd simply incapacitated him for a moment and with the chaos of people screaming and shouting prayers as they scattered from the open plaza, Klaus didn't want to chance that he'd be able to sneak up on them. He grabbed Caroline and flashed them back to the car, pushing her inside the vehicle as he spotted where the other one had gone.

Klaus was on him in a second, impaling the man on the gate that surrounded one of the houses. "You should have known better than to strike against me, Gregor," Klaus patted the man's cheek, pushing him down further on the spike, enjoying the wheezing sound the man made.

"Three," the man got out and Klaus quirked his lips at that, wondering what he was talking about, not liking the smile on the man's face as he tore his head off.

He whirled around, spotting the vampire that was headed toward the car Caroline was in, easily cutting him off before he got anywhere near her, Klaus tore the man's arm off in his rage, annoyed at his own error of underestimating the men, before slamming him into the car. "How many of you?" he compelled, needing answers, to know if there was more of a threat around.

"Only the three of us here," the vampire sneered even though he was in obvious pain. "There will be others though and one of them will destroy her just like you destroyed us."

Klaus dug his hand into the man's chest, enjoying the strain he saw in the vampire's eyes as he tried not to scream in pain. "You're going to walk down the road and keep going, even as the sun starts to rise in the sky. Keep going until you are nothing but ash, old friend," he compelled the man, patting his cheek before releasing him.

"Someone will get to her," the vampire muttered and Klaus kicked him forward, wanting him out of his sight.

Caroline was still in the car, her gaze on the now empty plaza, and he could see her hands shaking. "My mom…"

Klaus opened the car door and slid into the driver's seat beside her, trying to think of what the best course of action would be. "There's no way for them to see what we're doing now. Those ones have probably been waiting here for the opportunity to strike."

"What if they already hurt her? What if she's…?" He could see the panic starting to set in her eyes, in her breathing as she looked over at him.

"We'll find her, Caroline, but I believe we may need to wait a bit before uncompelling your mother, sweetheart," Klaus told her and Caroline shook her head at that.

"What if there are others here to try and hurt her?" It was a possibility and they would need to scour the area to make sure that wasn't happening.

"We need to leave this area, Caroline. Those three were here to harm you. I doubt they even knew of her presence," Klaus started, not surprised that she interrupted him.

"But you don't know for certain. What if they did? What if someone else does?" her voice was rising, panic beginning to set it.

"Then we'll compel the town to protect her," he replied, hands moving to her face, cupping her cheeks as he tried to calm her down. "She'll have everyone here watching out for her, ready to let us know whenever a stranger sets foot into town, ready to kill any who dare look at her wrong. But here is still the safest place for her until we get rid of any threat that came through the veil."

Because if they couldn't get to Caroline to hurt him then his enemies would eventually realize that they could hurt Caroline by killing her mother. Klaus wouldn't risk that devastation destroying the woman he loved, wouldn't risk how that could tear them apart if she blamed him for what his enemies did. "It just means you'll be parted from her for a little longer, but we will return for her."

"I don't want to leave her." Not when they were so close to finally being reunited.

"If she comes with us she'll only have a bigger target on her. She doesn't have your added strength or healing abilities," Klaus rationalized. "I'll speak to some witches who owe me a favor near here. I'll make sure she's protected."

"But for how long?" Caroline asked and Klaus wiped at the tears sliding down her cheeks.

"It won't be long, I promise you. I'll have Kol use his newfound power to track down those who slipped through the veil." Considering the amount of power his brother now had at his disposal that should be doable and then they would kill them. It hardly mattered to Klaus if they were a threat or not, all of them could die for his peace of mind. "I'm going to need your help to compel the town, Caroline. Are you up for this?"

She took a deep breath before nodding and he watched in awe as she pulled herself together. He wondered how often she'd done this before in her young life considering she'd been able to quickly brush off the tears and fix her hair so that when she forced a smile it didn't even look like she'd been crying moments before. "I am."

Caroline Forbes was far stronger than she knew and no matter what else might happen, Klaus meant to make sure she learned that about herself in the next few years.

It took them nearly half the night to compel the town and by the time they finished Klaus could see how emotionally drained Caroline was from the experience. Especially when she spotted her mother speaking to another woman, passing right by them and not even noticing that she was there. "Come on," Klaus gently urged, leading Caroline back to the car and out of the village.

They wouldn't head off to meet with the others just yet, not with how emotional she was. Klaus knew that she'd appreciate a day to be able to build up her strength again before facing anyone else so instead of heading toward Florence he headed toward the sea. He knew the perfect place to show her so that she could calm down and be ready to carry on like she always did. Though this time he would make sure Caroline knew that she had him on her side.

* * *

Getting the call from Klaus that he needed all of those who had ventured over from beyond the veil tracked down had been the highlight of Kol's day. Not that he didn't want to spend time with Henrik, but with Rebekah doting over the boy and trying to get him acclimated to the twenty-first century, it wasn't quite where he wanted to be at the moment. He wasn't ready to come down off the constant rush of the last few weeks and jumped at the chance to use his newly regained powers.

What Klaus wanted was no simple task though. It needed more than one witch and while he could have probably called upon a few old friends that were scattered around the globe, there was one witch in particular that he wanted to bother for help. Hardly his fault that she'd only just left the rest of them.

"Hello, darling," Kol greeted as he slipped onto the chair across from Bonnie Bennett. She'd been in a small cafe in Athens and the scowl she offered up as she looked at him had Kol grinning brightly.

"I don't put up with stalkers," she hissed, looking ready to try and blast him from existence with a mere look.

"Klaus needed me to find you." Not  _quite_  the truth. "Seems the leftovers from the veil are causing quite the ruckus already. I'm sure you don't care one iota about that, probably even think we deserve whatever is thrown at us, mmm?" From her pursed lips and crossed arms he was going to take her answer as being an affirmative. "Except it seems that they're all quite interested in harming what they perceive to be Klaus' weakness—and honestly she  _is_  one. So unless you'd like to leave Caroline vulnerable to all manners of attacks…" He lifted his arms in a shrug before reaching across to steal a chip from her basket.

Kol could tell that she didn't want to help, that she was dying to tell him to go to hell or something similar, but a threat against her friend was something that Bonnie Bennett wouldn't be able to ignore, no matter how much she didn't want to work with him again. "What do you want me to do?" she finally said with a sigh, narrowing her eyes when he rubbed his hands in excitement.

"Simple enough tracking spell. All of their energy will be a tad skewed, should allow us to pinpoint them fairly easily." At least in theory it should, they'd find out soon enough in practice how true that was.

"And then what?" Because tracking wouldn't exactly solve the problem.

Kol leaned forward, smiling brightly at her. "And then we'll kill them. Each and every one of them."

"Not all of them are threats," Bonnie countered, shaking her head at them. "Some of them probably have no intention of ever coming near any of us."

"Yes, but unless you have a way of weeding out all of those quickly, we'll be tracking down various people for months, possibly over a year. I personally would have no issue working with you for such a long time, but I'd think you would want to be free of me as soon as possible," Kol replied, enjoying the way she bristled at the alternatives. "Technically none of them should be here. It's all by happenstance that they're even walking around again."

"Won't Henrik be affected?" she countered and Kol strummed his fingers along the table.

"Good thing I already cloaked him from what we'll be doing." His brother would remain untouched. It was the rest of them that needed to die.

"I'm not killing innocent people who aren't a threat to Caroline," Bonnie told him and Kol smirked.

"Well then I guess you and I have quite the journey ahead for us." Kol leaned forward to snag another chip and Bonnie hit his hand away.

"Let's see how many are even left over from the rifts and we'll figure it out from there," she replied and he leaned back, nodding his head at the idea. "And rule number one, you keep your hands off my things."

"There are going to be rules?" Kol asked as she rose, watching her dump her trash before following after her. "I do so love those. So much fun to break each and every one of them."

Her annoyed sigh was like music to his ears and Kol didn't think he'd ever been so pleased to have people threatening his family. Looked at though he wasn't quite done with the rush of the last few weeks just yet and that suited him perfectly. The fact he had such amusing company to enjoy it with was a nice bonus. He'd need to remember to thank Nik later on for the new task.

* * *

The hotel was exquisite, better than anything she had ever stayed in before, but Caroline barely paid attention to any of the details. Her mind was on her mother, on how she had been  _right there_ , close enough to touch, and she had needed to leave her behind. She knew it was for the best, that pulling her back into the chaos that was her life at the moment would most likely get her killed. That knowledge didn't quite soothe the ache in her heart though, the worry that was only going to continue unabated until she was finally able to compel Liz's memories back into place.

She was grateful that Klaus had decided to bring her somewhere else instead of heading directly to where his siblings had been going. They would meet up with them in a few days but Caroline needed the time to pull herself together, to stitch her emotions back into place after she allowed all of them to come pouring out.

They were in a beautiful seaside room, the ocean practically right outside of their door but she had headed straight for the bed, not seeing any of it. She had needed to cry, to let out every ounce of frustration and turmoil that was stirring inside of her, and under the covers seemed the best place to do that.

Klaus had let her be at first, calling his siblings to get Kol to start to work on everything and letting Rebekah know it would be a few days before they met up. Eventually though she felt his presence on the bed. She peered up at him from the cocoon she had made for herself with the cover and sheets, crying harder at the sympathy she saw in his gaze.

He pulled her against him and she curled into his arms, hands leaving the safety of the sheets to hold tightly to his Henley. His arms wrapped around her, anchoring her to his body, and while he didn't say a word, his presence was soothing. Caroline never thought she would think that about Klaus, but somehow along the way he had learned how to calm her when her emotions were spinning out of control.

She was emotionally spent from the day and it didn't take long for her to fall asleep on him. It was a mostly peaceful sleep, one not full of nightmares about her mother as she had expected. Caroline had a feeling she had Klaus to thank for that. He hadn't been present but she remembered the field of horses that had played out for her.

Caroline woke curled up against his chest with his arms still around her, holding her tightly to him. Klaus was still asleep and she took the time to admire him in that moment. She didn't know how she had gone from steadfastly loathing him to wanting to see the world with him. He had been chipping away at her walls since that night in her bedroom, giving her glimpses of a world out there for her with his words, and while at first she had firmly believed it had all been a ploy, that he had been playing with her, she knew now that what he felt for her was  _real_. Caroline knew that he truly did want to show her the world, to give her practically everything that she wanted in life, and that he didn't expect anything in return. Asking about her hopes and dreams hadn't been a line for him.

The depth of Klaus' feelings for her still frightened Caroline a bit. He had been able to control his wolf in her presence, fought off a Coven witches to be able to help her, and tracked her down when Silas had her.

She brushed her fingers against the stubble on his chin before letting her hand move down to play with the necklaces he wore. Klaus  _loved_  her and it was so very different than what she had thought love would be. It was possessive, it was longing, and there was an endlessness to it that was overwhelming and comforting all at once. It was nothing like what she had felt from Matt or Tyler. She couldn't quite give name to every aspect of what it was to be loved by Klaus but Caroline did know that as much as it did still frighten her that she never wanted to be without it.

She wasn't quite there yet; it would probably take a few years before she felt that same depth for him as he did for her. She did know that she wanted to be with him though, that when she did think of the distant future and even the near future, it was him that she saw herself with in her dreams. Forever was a long time though and a concept that she still couldn't quite wrap her head around. The only thing that would probably help with that was time and she meant to make sure that the two of them had plenty of that together.

"Should I worry that you're planning my demise in that head of yours?" Klaus quirked a brow as he looked down at her, voice full of mirth for a moment before his gaze turned concerned. "How are you feeling now, sweetheart?"

This man could pull out another's heart before she could even speak a word and yet he looked at her like she was the most precious thing in the world. It was enough to make a girl's head spin. "Better than I was yesterday. Thanks." For being there, for knowing what she would need.

She rested her head back on his chest, not ready to leave the bed or his arms just yet. It still surprised her to see how much had changed between the two of them in the last few weeks, how instead of leaping away from his touch she welcomed it,  _needed_  it. She shifted slightly after a moment, moving so that she was hovering over him. Long blonde hair tickled his cheeks and he watched her, no doubt wondering what she was doing.

He didn't have long to wonder, not when she was gently pressing her lips against his. Her hands moved to his cheeks, thumbs stroking the stubble they found there as his moved to the nape of her neck and buried themselves in her hair. The kiss had started out slow, barely there really, but neither seemed content with that for long. There was an urgency to it now, an almost consuming quality to it that had her moaning into his mouth.

Caroline broke away, moving so that she was straddling his chest as she gasped for air for a moment. She had her shirt over her head before he could blink, her mouth against his neck before he really had time to appreciate the view. She wanted to explore his body in all the ways he'd done with hers so far, to give him the pleasure he had always made sure she had.

It seemed Klaus had other ideas though and had her flipped beneath him before she could utter a single protest. "I've barely begun to explore your body, Caroline," he murmured against her ear and her eyes widened at that. Had she said the last part out loud without realizing it?

Not that it mattered when he nibbled on her ear before making his way down her neck; tongue, teeth and lips being used in ways that had her moaning and threading her fingers through his hair. She shook her head when his fingers stroked the skin under her bra strap. No no no. She wanted to give as good as she got this time, to not be a puddle of mess while he made every nerve ending of hers ignite with fire. She wanted to do that to him as well.

Caroline shoved Klaus back, knowing she wouldn't have been able to do such a thing without him allowing it. He would always have more strength than she ever could dream of getting. Her hands were on the ends of his Henley, tugging it over his head and tossing it to the side in seconds. The necklaces against his bare chest had featured in countless fantasies she'd had about Klaus. Enough so that she had cursed their existence back when she had been trying to suppress her desires. But now she could fully embrace what she wanted without worrying about the consequences she would face with her friends for giving into her own needs.

His mouth was on hers again, hot and demanding and she curled one arm around his neck, the other hand twisting in his necklaces as they each fought for control. Klaus' hands easily got rid of her bra; though she was thankful he didn't break it. She only had the one right now and while they could always get another, she didn't want to deal with anything but him right then and there.

Klaus pressed her back against the bed, never letting up with the kiss as she felt her head hit the pillow. Caroline knew that as soon as her back hit the mattress again that he was going to win the fight for control. A thousand years of experience was at his fingertips and Klaus seemed intent on showing her everything he had learned. There was almost a desperation to his touch as his hands slid down her curves, one hand pressing gently against her stomach, lazily drawing his fingers across her skin there. She didn't know which direction it was intending to head next and as his mouth left hers to nip at her neck, Caroline couldn't think of which way she wanted it to head.

He pulled back for a moment so that he was hovering over her and the adoration that she saw in his eyes as he looked down at her took her breath away. She would never get over how he looked at her, even in a thousand years she would never understand how anyone, especially Klaus who had seen so many wonders throughout time could look at her as though she was a mystery he would spend forever trying to uncover.

His necklaces brushed against her skin and  _god_  that was like just out of one of her dreams, feeling them gliding down between her breasts before moving even lower as his mouth was on her skin again.

She needed to try and regain control, to flip him back over so she could continue with her own ministrations but any chance of that happening was obliterated as soon as Klaus' mouth was on her breast. "You so don't play fair," she whined, pressing her head back into the pillow as his tongue moved over her already hardening nipple.

"I highly doubt that's a surprise, Caroline love," Klaus murmured, before his blunt teeth brushed against her breast causing her eyes to shut. He kept up his movements, alternating between breasts but when his fingers drifted down to her pants, Caroline forced herself to snap out of the delicious daze that she was currently in.

She flipped them over again, pushing Klaus down against the mattress, refusing to be denied her own ounce on control. Even if her body desperately wanted to allow him to continue the journey his hands had been on. Caroline pressed her hands against his chest, giving him a hard look to which Klaus arched a brow. "My turn."

Caroline dragged her nails down his chest before he could comment, smirking at the hitch in his breath that she managed to elicit from that. "One day I'm going to need to hear the story behind each and every single one of these necklaces," she told him as she ran her fingers along the various threads and chains before moving to press her chest against his, grinning at the way his hands moved up her bare back.

Her mouth was on his neck, reciprocating the motions he had done before, knowing that it was a sensitive place on any vampire, and while Klaus was a hybrid, from the way his hands tightened their grip on her as they glided over her back every so often, Caroline had a feeling it worked on hybrids as well. Sex with Tyler wasn't any help for what worked and what didn't as they had always been pretty straight forward, minimal foreplay involved, and Caroline was coming to learn that Klaus seemed to really enjoy riling her up before ever getting the main course.

Not that she was going to complain. It was mutually beneficial.

Though she did let out a sound of protest when he flipped them back over again, removing her jeans from her body before she could do more than that. The fact he was able to tear her panties away as if they were nothing but paper had her making a face at him. "Hey!" Now what was she supposed to wear?

From Klaus' devilish smile Caroline wouldn't be surprised if that was the point. There wasn't much time to be annoyed though not when his mouth pressed against her stomach and one hand drifted across her pelvis, causing her legs to open slightly of their own accord. His fingers brushed against her sex and Caroline shut her eyes, knowing that the chances of her gaining back any control now were below zero.

"So wet for me already," Klaus murmured and she really shouldn't have looked down at him. Seeing him lick her juices off his fingers was so not helping her maintain any kind of control.

"Oh god," she muttered as his mouth was on her skin again, hot and demanding as he moved up her body. His fingers brushed against her sex though, ever so lightly and the gentleness of the movement was driving her mad. It was such a contrast to how his mouth moves as if it was trying to cover every inch of her skin, to taste every part of her.

But then she felt a finger dip into her, stroking her for a moment before one finally pushed into her and then another as his thumb found her clit, brushing it in small, entirely too gentle circles. It wasn't enough pressure; she was desperate for more and tried to move her hips to get that across to him. From the way Klaus grinned against her breast she had a feeling he knew it wasn't enough. He was toying with her, driving her insane with need.

Caroline was close to demanding more from him when the pressure finally increased but he was no longer at her breast, his mouth moving its way back down her body. She didn't expect the piercing of his fangs into her thigh but the combination of that as he pumped fingers into her and brushed at her clit was more than enough to send her reeling over the edge. Her hands gripped the covers beneath them, fabric tearing as he continues to feed and press into her.

She was barely coming down from her high when his fingers were replaced by his mouth, tongue practically lapping up all of her juices. One of his hands was under her ass, the other pressed against her stomach in an effort to hold her still. Her orgasm just won't seem to end with what he was doing to her and Caroline wondered if it was possible to black out from pleasure. She's certain that she might, her senses on overload.

"Drink, Caroline," Klaus ordered and that was what brings her back to reality and she dug her fangs into his offered neck. She could hear him shedding his own pants and underwear as she took her fill, countering the venom that had begun to flow through her body, not at all deterred by her tightening grip.

Her mouth found his, dueling for control as her hands roamed over his back, through his hair, over his chest, needing to touch as much of him as she possibly could. Klaus pulled her back, looking down at her, his gaze demanding to know that she was sure and her answering smile seeming to be all the answer he needed.

There was a completeness Caroline had never felt before when he pressed his cock into her, but that was quickly pushed aside as they worked to find a rhythm that worked for the two of them. Her legs wrapped around his waist, trying to pull him in deeper, needing him closer.

His forehead pressed against hers as he tugged at her arms, his hands sliding up until they were against her wrists. Klaus pulled them up above her head, maneuvering so he could pin them there with one hand. The other pressed to the bed beside her head as he pulled back to look her in the eye. Caroline wasn't surprised by the dominance he was displaying. He was the Alpha male and she would rolled her hips in a way that had him moaning, reminding him that she was very much the Alpha female.

His smile was contagious before his mouth was against hers again, teeth and tongued fighting for dominance between the two of them. Klaus didn't relinquish the hold on her hands even as she strained against him, wanting desperately to draw her nails down his back.

The veins around his face were darkening though, causing her own to do so again, fangs dropping down as she saw his own come out to play. Hers pierced the flesh of his neck almost at the same time as his did her own, the addition of the blood sending them both careening over the edge. They both drank until they had their fill even as their bodies stopped moving. Tasting her blood in his mouth, having their blood intermingle like that was something Caroline knew she wanted to experience repeatedly as he kissed her.

Klaus released his hold on her hands and she drew them down his back, unable to stop touching him. The second time was much slower, no fight for dominance between the two of them as they easily moved together toward that highly sought after end. She wondered why it had never felt like this before. It had always been good, she had always gotten what she wanted out of sex, but the completeness was back, the feeling that she was right where she was supposed to be was overwhelming. From the way that Klaus touched her and moved with her Caroline had a feeling he was feeling the same.

"I'm never giving you up," Klaus murmured as he pulled her close, pressing his lips into the mess that was her hair.

That kind of phrase would have terrified her before, had her running for the hills and trying to stay out of his path for as long as she could. Now it had her curling her fingers in his necklaces and pressing a kiss to his chest.

"Good."

Because Caroline had no intention of ever giving him up either. Whatever else lay ahead, no matter how long it took to be able to get her mother back, or however many twists and turns were still left for them to face, somehow she knew it would all be worth it. It was hard not to think that when she was lying in bed with Klaus who loved her more than she could ever comprehend and while it still terrified her a bit, she could start to see that she was coming to feel the same about him.

"Do I want to know what's going on in that head of yours?" Klaus murmured, looking down at her and she rested her chin on his chest as she looked at him.

"I'm just really glad I decided to give you a chance," Caroline told him with a smile. "I have no clue where this all might lead." Though she knew where she would like it to lead. "But I'll never regret choosing you."

He was staring at her strangely, with an emotion she couldn't quite name, before he was kissing her senseless all over again. It dawned on her that Klaus had never really been chosen before. He had demanded loyalty from his hybrids and she wouldn't be surprised if he saw his siblings being with him out of familial duty instead of choice half the time. But someone choosing of their own free will to be with him because they wanted to was something he hadn't really experienced before.

They broke apart, Klaus looking down at her with a genuine smile and Caroline grinned up at him, not even realizing that she was looking at him like he always looked at her in that moment.

 


	33. Chapter 33

_When is a monster not a monster?  
When you love it.—Caitlyn Siehl_

* * *

It had taken an entire year but they had finally tracked down the last of those who had come from the Other Side. The majority of them had nothing to do with the Mikaelsons, having died before the family had even been born or never having crossed their paths while having been alive. Those ones were left alone and allowed to live out their days. Kol had wanted them dead as well but Bonnie had put her foot down, refusing to help track down anyone else if he killed those who weren't a threat. She wouldn't listen to all the ways they could  _eventually_  become threats either.

 _Anyone_  could become a threat in the future and they weren't going to kill every single being that lived in the world, no matter how much that idea had delighted Kol. Besides, there had been more than enough who were legitimate threats for him to have killed over the months that they didn't need to add more to his count.

She hadn't wanted to help when they had come across the first threat, but the woman had muttered about killing the one Klaus loved in front of him and Bonnie hadn't been able to hold back from sending a stake flying into the woman's chest. She'd known that Caroline getting mixed up with Klaus was going to be a whole lot of trouble for her friend but the amount of people who were willing to use her in order to get at Klaus was a bit too much for Bonnie.

They were all gone now though, dead and unable to ever return thanks to the Other Side being dissolved. "He still has more enemies out there in the world," Bonnie muttered as she looked down on the face of the last vampire that Kol had disposed of.

"Difference being that these ones knew what he looked like, even worse they knew what Caroline looked like because of the rip in the veil. The amount of people who know what my siblings and I look like that are still walking around isn't much," Kol pointed out as he tore off the man's head. That should do it. "To most of the supernatural world we're nothing but a myth. Part of the whole running from our father bit, we needed an air of mystery to us."

Bonnie grimaced as the head smacked down onto the cement floor. She knew he was right in his assessment. The Mystic Falls gang hadn't even known that Elijah and Klaus were siblings at first. Damon hadn't known that Originals even existed and her Grams had never mentioned anything about them. Hopefully that meant there would be less of a threat against Caroline. She had already lost everyone else from Mystic Falls bar her father; Bonnie didn't think she could handle losing Caroline as well.

"Shall I do the honors of calling home to let everyone know we're finished?" Kol continued as he wiped his hands and stood up, already fishing his cell from his pocket.

"Don't forget to tell them that we found Stefan and took care of him," Bonnie reminded and stepped out of the room. Dead bodies were still not something she wanted to get used to handling, didn't matter if it was a supernatural or a human, it was never easy to see.

Hopefully Stefan was doing better. They had met him back in California, watching him drain people for the fun of it. It was obvious that he'd turned his emotions off and they had learned quickly that Damon was gone while following him one night. Kol had wanted to let him continue on, enjoying the bloodbath that Stefan was leaving down the coastline. The problem was that Ripper Stefan didn't seem to care about whom he talked about and loose lips were a problem that none of them could afford.

Stefan had sealed his own fate when he brought up Henrik to Kol, asking him how easy it would be to skin the kid alive because why should they get their brother back when his was gone forever. It had been over in seconds, Kol's hand through his ribcage before Bonnie had been able to utter a word. She would have sworn that Stefan actually looked grateful but that wouldn't have been possible if he'd turned his emotions off. Right?

She never could quite shake that look though.

"It seems that our mission is now complete, darling," Kol informed her as he stepped out onto the street beside her, pocketing his phone.

Bonnie stared out at the people wandering by, their focus on the music that was spilling out of nearly every nook and cranny of the street. She was trying not to smirk at the disappointment that she could hear in his voice.

"I did hear that there's a new sort of magic cropping up down in Haiti though," he continued, and she arched a brow as she looked over at him. "Not so much new as embracing what used to be practiced down there for ages but fell out of favor for a while. It originated in Africa actually."

"Let me guess, you just happen to have known those who brought it over to the islands?" she asked, trying to sound bored with the question even if she did greatly enjoy the stories he had to tell about witchcraft before her time.

"Of course I did," Kol replied with a grin. Bonnie simply nodded, letting the silence grow between them. "It'd be a bit of a shame if they started to upset the balance of nature that's slowly been reestablishing itself."

"Like you care about the balance of nature," Bonnie muttered, shaking her head at him as they started walking down the street, easily blending in with the tourists moving about.

"Not even a little," Kol shrugged, but she was fully aware that he knew that  _she did_ care about it.

The smart thing to do would be to walk away now, to put as much distance between her and him as she possibly could. It might not work considering Kol seemed to have the same stalker tendencies as his older brother, but it wouldn't be encouraging his presence any longer. She should establish the fact that their mission was complete and she wanted nothing more to do with him.

Except, Bonnie had enjoyed learning about magic over the last few months. She had grown to enjoy his presence as they had traveled and done what was needed. Could it really hurt to keep that up for a little bit longer? Probably. She was most likely playing with fire but that didn't stop the next words from tumbling out of her mouth.

"Well, then, I guess it looks like we're headed to Haiti."

* * *

Did all good things come to an end?

Klaus couldn't help but wonder that as he hung up with Kol. For a year Bonnie had been continents away from them, Caroline's mother tucked safely away in the country villa none the wiser to what was happening, while he had been able to enjoy the last twelve months getting to know every inch of Caroline Forbes. He had watched her grow close with his youngest brother, helping Henrik learn English and struggling along with him as they both learned Italian. He had watched as her and Rebekah went from nearly biting one another's heads off to leaving for weekend long shopping trips together. He had gotten to see the way he looked at her reflected back in the way she looked at him with each passing minute.

But the threats were over now which meant that Liz Forbes would need to be given her memories back and Klaus couldn't help but worry that everything he had gained in the last year would be viciously ripped away from him. Caroline loved her mother and the good sheriff wasn't exactly his biggest fan. It was understandable and his paranoia was already beginning to creep into his veins, threatening to overtake him completely.

Could he hide this news from her? But for how long would that work? Surely Caroline would speak to Bonnie at some point and then be furious with him for not having brought her back to her mother sooner. He would certainly lose her then. There was always the option of having the witch killed so she wouldn't be able to tell but then he would need to dagger Kol as well. No doubt the others would wonder why Bonnie and Kol hadn't contacted them after a while and demand to search for them, leading back to Caroline (and his siblings) being furious with him all over again.

He was going to need to tell her and let the cards land where they would.

Hope was a fickle emotion, one that could just as easily grow as it could dim quickly until it was nothing but dust. Klaus despised it, the way it could twist inside of him, making him unsure of what would happen next. All of his carefully laid out plans meant nothing if he lost Caroline. For all his words about waiting a century for her if she wished to head off with her mother, he knew he wouldn't be able to wait that long now. Not when he had gotten a taste of what eternity would truly be like with her. Not when he fell asleep with her in his arms and woke to her bright smile every morning. He could not do without her laugh for that long, could not stand having only the ghost of her presence fill every room and moment instead of having her there beside him.

He was certain that losing her would be worse than the Hunter's Curse, a crushing blow that his heart would never truly be able to recover from. Henrik's presence would soften it some but the boy would grow and leave eventually, probably come to hate him if Klaus got his way and was able to turn him.

"What ruined your mood?" Rebekah asked, interrupting Klaus' thoughts as she entered the kitchen.

He didn't answer her, his attention being drawn out to the terrace where Henrik and Caroline were engaged in a game of checkers. They were laughing, clearly enjoying one another's company, and instead of the usual smile that brought to his face, all Klaus could do was stare at them through the glass doors and windows.

"It seems that Kol and Bonnie have finished dealing with any riffraff that came through the veil," Klaus finally informed his sister, his attention still on the cheerful two that were outside enjoying their game in the Florence sunlight.

"So he'll be coming home then?" Rebekah inquired, and Klaus could practically taste her excitement as well as sense the exact moment when it deflated as he shook his head.

"Seems they're off to look into a few witch debacles in some place or another," Klaus continued and Rebekah scoffed at that, clearly irritated with that news.

"I knew she'd get her little claws into him," she muttered, and Klaus glanced over at her, arching a brow at her crossed arms and sour expression.

"I have a feeling it was more Kol getting his into the little Bennett witch," he told her, almost smiling at her mutterings about that.

"At least this means Caroline will be able to compel her mother to remember," Rebekah murmured, and any chance of a smile vanished, dark thoughts taking hold of him all over again.

"I know that look," Rebekah continued, stepping to get in front of him. "It's that same one you used to get before daggering one of us." Klaus looked at her then, surprised that he didn't see anger in her features. Instead there was pity, an emotion that he despised seeing displayed toward him, and wished for his sister's anger instead. "Are you going to let your fears start to control you all over again? There's no dagger for either of them, Nik. She'll come to hate you if you try and keep this from her."

Rebekah walked away before he could reply and he knew she was correct in her assessment. There would be no keeping this news from Caroline. He had promised he wouldn't lock her away in a tower and Klaus knew that she would see keeping this from her would be seen as such in Caroline's eyes.

He took a deep breath and headed out onto the terrace where Henrik and Caroline were happily playing. He cringed at their not quite yet perfected Italian. "Not all of us have been speaking the language as long as you have," Caroline reminded him and Klaus knew he had been caught in his wincing.

"You are both doing fine with it," Klaus tried to reassure as he moved to stand behind her, pressing a soft kiss to her cheek before smiling at his brother.

Henrik had grown at least a foot in the past year, his voice deepening, looking more like a miniature Elijah with each passing day. He didn't have their brother's stoic demeanor though, was far more jovial and carefree than any of them had ever been. It was a look that Klaus wanted to capture for all time, though immortality and Henrik was something none of them could seem to agree on yet.

"We should move onto chess next. We're at a stalemate on who wins this game the most often," Henrik commented and Caroline shook her head.

"I don't do chess. You get to play that one with this one," she looked up at Klaus, smiling at him for a moment, before looking back at the other Mikaelson. "I'll show you poker next."

Henrik's eyes seemed to light up at the prospect of a new game but Rebekah was motioning for him to come inside so he simply nodded to the two of them and hurried away. "Kol called," Klaus told Caroline before she could make another comment.

She was out of the chair and turned around to look at him, so much hope in her eyes that it made his heart clench painfully. "They're finished," he continued, barely getting the words out before she practically launched herself into his arms.

He hugged her tightly, breathing in the scent of hair, not quite wanting to let go when she pulled back some. Her smile was infectious. "We can go get my mom now?"

Klaus brushed the tears that were sliding down her cheeks. "As soon as you'd like."

"Now. I want to go right now," she told him and he set her down, letting her head back into their home. He watched as she excitedly told Rebekah and Henrik the news, watched the happiness practically burst from inside of her as she moved about. All the while his insides burned, twisted painfully as he wondered if this would be the last time he saw her with them, the last time she was in their home with him.

Klaus had no clue how he would cope if he lost her when they had barely only begun.

* * *

There had been an ache that Caroline hadn't quite been able to shake since leaving her mother behind. It was softened often as she lived her life, as she grew to become friends with Rebekah and Henrik, as she toured all of Italy with Klaus, as she found herself falling in love with him. She hadn't quite admitted that part to herself or him or anyone yet, but the feelings she had for him had only grown by leaps and bounds, cementing in her mind that she had made the right choice after everything had happened. She still missed her mother though, worried that she was doing alright even with the amount of protection the woman unknowingly had.

They were headed to her now though and Caroline could barely contain the joy she felt. She was pretty sure her heart wanted to burst with it. She couldn't seem to sit still, constantly fidgeting as Klaus drove through the Tuscan countryside. Caroline had been talking a mile a minute since they departed, barely giving him time to get a word in, but as they finally passed a sign saying that the village was only so many kilometers ahead she realized that Klaus hadn't tried to say anything.

Her attention was on him now, even as she continued to talk about everything under the sun. At first she simply wondered if he was quiet because he was listening to her speak, letting her get out all of the emotions that were trying to overwhelm her. He did that sometimes, knowing she needed to talk about everything and anything sometimes. But that didn't add up to the way his knuckles were white from how tightly he was gripping the steering wheel. It didn't account for the flashes of sadness that she saw in his gaze when she looked at him through the corner of her eyes.

Rebekah's words as they had said their goodbyes echoed in her mind.  _You don't realize how easily you can break him_. She hadn't understood them before, had pushed them aside in all of her excitement, but now as she looked over at Klaus as they drove toward the village she was beginning to realize what the girl had meant.

"Klaus, what do you think is going to happen after we get to my mom?" Caroline asked, watching him carefully.

"I suppose that is up to you, love," he replied, and if she didn't know him as well as she did his voice would have sounded normal. But she picked up on the slight strain to it, on the flexing of his fingers around the wheel.

"Pull over," she told him, and he looked over at her, obviously confused. She simply nodded to the side of the road. This was not a conversation they should be having while he drove.

"Caroline," Klaus started and she shook her head, nodding at the keys in the ignition which he pulled out. She had already undone her seatbelt so that she could get a better look at him.

"We are getting my mom, we're compelling her to remember, and then we are going back  _home_." She emphasized that last word, knowing he needed to hear it. "Not going to deny that I hope she'll be coming with us. I did set up a whole room for her that like no one is allowed to enter. But if she wants to stay, which she could, she did live a whole year and some months here, then like we'll stay for a few days so I've got time to catch up with her. And then like I said we're going  _home_." Her mother could always visit them and she could visit her. Just like she did with Bonnie.

Caroline could see the tension beginning to leave him, could see the fear of her departure beginning to dissipate. "I don't know if you've been noticing or not but I've kinda been falling in love with you over the last few months," she continued, stopping as she realized what she had just said.

"Caroline," Klaus started again, and she could tell he was going to give her an out, to let her take it back when she knew every fiber of his being was screaming at him to never let her go.

She shook her head and pressed a finger to his lips, stopping him from continuing. "I love you," Caroline told him, the honesty of her statement enveloping them, matching smiles blossoming on their faces. "I didn't really ever expect I'd say those words. Or no, well. Like I thought  _eventually_ they would in the last year because you're seriously persistent and I will  _never_  be okay with some of the things you do and we'll probably fight like mad about them. But that doesn't change the fact that I want to fall asleep with you every night and wake up with you every morning—except when I'm doing girls' weekends. Even if I do miss you during those. But like I need those weekends and so do you."

Caroline stopped talking at his amused expression. "What?"

Klaus' response was to lean in and kiss her. She sighed happily as his hands found her cheeks, thumbs caressing her skin as her hands moved to the nape of his neck, fingers moving into the curls there. There were so many emotions in that kiss, from longing to acceptance to a possessiveness that was reciprocated.

"I think I need to hear it again," Klaus told her as he pulled back, brushing a stray strand of hair from her face. His eyes were tinged with gold, a sure sign of the wolf that lay hidden beneath the surface.

"I," she pressed a kiss to his nose, feeling rather playful in that moment. "Love." Another to his chin. "You." And again to his lips. It was meant to be just as fleeting as the others but he was having none of that, his mouth demanding more as he pulled her forward.

She pushed away after a moment, thoroughly flushed and scooting so she was pressed back against her door. "Okay. No more because I am so not going to my mom smelling like sex. Not happening." She shook her head at him, swatting at Klaus when he reached for her again. "Nope.  _Later._ "

"I'm holding you to that," Klaus told her and Caroline simply grinned.

It took less than thirty minutes to get to the town after that, the atmosphere in the car much lighter than before, though a different kind of tension had fallen between them, one that they were used to being there. Caroline pushed it aside though as they parked and she spotted her mother hanging up laundry in the yard of her house.

"She looks so happy," she murmured, unsure about what they were there to do.

"She misses you and doesn't even know what it is she misses," Klaus reminded, reaching over to squeeze her hand. "I'll be with you the whole way."

Caroline nodded at that, squeezing his hand back. She took a deep breath, gathering her courage as she exited the car, hearing Klaus get out as well.

"Hello," Caroline called out as she closed the car door behind her.

Liz looked over at them, smiling politely though there was something about her stance that was cautious, reminding Caroline of how her mother stood when talking to suspects. It seemed that some habits were hard to break. She was speaking to them in Italian but Caroline didn't pay any attention to it as she stepped forward, eyes already dilating.

"Now you remember," she told her mother and it was as if a switch was flipped, the cautious hostility fading away to recognition and then a matching joy as the mutual ache that had been in both of their hearts was healed.

Caroline would never be able to tell who had reached out for who first. It was almost as if they had fallen into one another's embrace, tears falling as Liz stroked her hair. Caroline breathed in her mother's scent, thankful that she hadn't forgotten it. The voice was the same, her mother's hug was just as Caroline had remembered it, and she never wanted to let go.

They pulled apart eventually and Caroline noticed that Liz was looking over her shoulder at Klaus. "Thank you," her mother told him and he nodded. Her stance was still guarded toward him but Caroline sensed a commonality between the two of them and she knew it was because of her, because they both cared for her well-being.

"Now what?" Liz asked as she looked around at the place she had lived for the last year.

"Well. It's kinda up to you. You could go back to Mystic Falls. We could stay here for a few days if there are people you want to say goodbye to. Or if you want to just stay here then you can do that," Caroline told her and Liz nodded at that. "But then after, if you don't want to stay here? Then we'll go home." She looked back at Klaus, smiling at him, before looking back at her mother. "Our home."

"Caroline has had a room set up for you since we moved in," Klaus informed her and Liz shook her head at that. "I doubt you're surprised by that fact."

"Not even a little," Liz replied, managing to smile at him before she looked back at her daughter. "I just need to get a few things from inside and then we can leave."

"Are you sure? Because we can stay for a little bit," Caroline told her, and Liz shook her head.

Liz looked out at the town. "This place, as lovely as it was, as lovely as these people were to me, they're not my family." She looked back at Caroline. "That's you. The one thing I learned when all of this started is that there is nothing more important to me than you. So yes, I'm sure." She hugged her daughter one more time and then headed into the house.

Caroline watched her go before turning around to look back at Klaus, stepping forward to embrace him. His arms slid around her, holding her tightly to him as if it was the most natural thing to do now, no longer unsure how to hug someone. In some ways they had both changed in the last year or so and in others ways they hadn't at all, but no matter what there was no going back to how things had been before everything with Silas.

There was only moving forward and Caroline was more than okay with that because they would be moving forward together. In the end, despite all of the obstacles in their way, despite all of the loss they had experienced, they had found one another and had gained more than either of them could ever have expected.

Her mother exited the house with a small bag and Klaus moved so that he was holding Caroline's hand, brushing his thumb over the back of it. "Let's go home," she told him, as her mother passed, certain more than ever that giving Klaus a chance had been the right decision.

How could it not be when he looked at her like she hung the moon and stars and she felt that same wonder when she looked at him? It would be rough and there would no doubt be many trials to come for them but Caroline knew they would make it through them all.

They were both too stubborn not to.


End file.
